Govt to bail out power board, says Manpreet
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 24
Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal highlighted the role of the private sector in bringing the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) out of the red. He said that private sector could play a pivotal role in setting up new power generation plants in collaboration with PSEB.

Badal was here to preside over the annual function of the Government Mohindra College and was interacting informally with newspersons on the sidelines of the function.

He said the Punjab government was committed to bailing out PSEB out of financial crisis and with a view to relieving the problems of the board, the government had reimbursed subsidy worth Rs 2,900 crore to the board which it had spent on account of free power supply to the agriculture sector.

Manpreet said the government was happy with the present system of the Punjab government lotteries and said that there was no proposal to make the lotteries of the state online. The finance minister said power generation, education and health were the priority areas of the government and these were also the thrust areas in the annual plan sent to the Union government. He said compared to last year plan of Rs 6,200 crore, this year’s plan had been pegged at Rs 7,500 crore.

He lauded the leadership qualities of new Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who, he hoped, would give a new direction to the development of the state. Manpreet said he could not make it to the swearing in of Sukhbir Badal since his chopper had developed a snag.