Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi lying on power rate cut, says SAD leader

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 23

Showing power bills of consumers, senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia stated that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi was misleading people that power bills had been reduced by Rs 3 per unit.

He alleged that the CM was trying to deceive Punjabis in the same manner as was done by Capt Amarinder Singh. He said the Cabinet also cleared the proposal of reduction in power tariff across all categories. Following which posters were put up everywhere to take credit. The lowest tariff of Rs 4.19 per unit, which was to be reduced to Rs 1.19 per unit, is the same.

Majithia also asserted that the CM had lied by stating that the erstwhile SAD-led government had arrived at a PPA with renewable energy producers to purchase power at Rs 17.28 per unit. He said the truth of the matter was that the Central Electricity Commission during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had decided of a tariff of Rs 17.28 per unit for one project of nine mega watt for which the Centre bore the major cost of Rs 12.5 per unit. “I challenge the CM to prove that this cost was borne by Punjab and I will not contest elections again”.

He alleged that the mining mafia was being run by Congressmen as earlier and that now Punjab Congress incharge Harish Chaudhary had taken over control of this operation. “People are suffering on account of this loot with a truck of sand selling for up to Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000,” he said.