CM orders recall of power notification
Gurpreet Singh Nibber [email protected]
PATIALA:
COSTLY IDEA PSPCL not in position to adjust subsidy, Badal told THE NOTIFICATION SAID PSPCL WOULD NOT PAY ANYTHING IN CASH TO THE GOVERNMENT AND R739 CRORE WOULD BE ADJUSTED AS SUBSIDY AGAINST FREE POWER
The Punjab government has decided to recall its April 7 notification as per which, it was decided that Punjab's power generated at the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) project would be sold to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) at a rate of Rs 2.11 per unit after procuring from the BBMB at the rate of 33 paise.
Chief secretary SC Aggarwal said chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has passed instructions to rollback the notification. “I hope that the notification will be recalled soon,“ the chief secretary told Hindustan Times over phone.
The notification had said the PSPCL would not pay anything in cash to the state government and a sum of Rs 739 crore -the cost of annual sale of power to the corporation by the state government -would be adjusted as subsidy against free power to agriculture and other sections of consumers.
Officials revealed that the PSPCL took up the matter with the chief minister, who also heads the power department, claiming that they were not in a position to get further subsidy adjustments. If any more adjustments against cash subsidy are effected, the already dwindling financial health of the power corporation would deteriorate further, the chief minister was told.
The notification brought under the signatures of principal secretary (finance) KBS Sidhu was deemed to be passed under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003. PSPCL CMD KD Chaudhari brought to the chief minister's notice that the corporation is spending about Rs 231 crore annually, including Rs 149.53 crore on on repair and maintenance, Rs 80 crore on employees in the BBMB, besides miscellaneous charges (Rs. 2.21 crore).