Government to go ahead with power
franchise: Minister
Manish Sirhindi
Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 5
Despite strong objections by engineers and workers of the state power utilities, the government has decided to go ahead with privatisation of power distribution in Gurgaon and Panipat on an experimental basis.

This was stated by Power Minister Mahendra Pratap Singh here today. The minister said it was a pilot project and would be extended to other districts only if it yielded the desired results in the two districts.

The minister claimed that the privatisation of the distribution system would not to lead to any job crisis for engineers.

He said employees and officials of the power utilities would continue to work under the state government. The government would be inviting engineers and seek their suggestions to resolve any issue. Defending the government decision, the minister said that privatisation, in fact, would bring about efficiency in the working of the nigam and was aimed at public benefit.

In case the system did not work, the government would be free to go back on its decision.

He claimed that the power crisis in the state would soon become a thing of the past with the commissioning of the thermal power plants under construction at various places.

Haryana would soon be power surplus and instead of buying power, it would be selling power to other states.

At present the state was generating 4700 mw of power from its own sources, but with the commissioning of the thermal plants, the generation would exceed 9700 mw.

The minister visited the Panipat thermal power plant and reviewed its working. He lauded the engineers and other employees for putting in their best.

He was accompanied by Tourism and Transport Minister Om Prakash Jain and senior civil and police officials of the district.