All govt depts to go solar soon

Tribune News Service

Aman Sood

Patiala, February 13

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today said the state government would ensure that “all government departments soon turn to solar power and also clear their pending electricity dues” at the earliest.

State’s interests to be protected

To protect the interests of Punjab in the Bhakhra Beas Management Board, the regular appointment of the Member (Power) will be ensured...the pending subsidy of the PSPCL will be cleared in a phased manner. Bhagwant Mann, CM

Over 1,200 delegates from the state, comprising officials from the rank of assistant engineer to Chief Engineer, participated in a general body meeting of the PSEB Engineers Association at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala. Mann, who was the chief guest, announced that “there will be no privatisation in the power sector”.

Addressing the gathering, the CM said all vacant posts would be filled in the power sector with regular employees.

“To protect the interests of Punjab in the Bhakhra Beas Management Board, the regular appointment of the Member (Power) will be ensured. I have issued instructions to government departments to clear the pending dues of the power corporation. The pending subsidy of the PSPCL will be cleared in a phased manner,” he told the engineers.

“The recent directive of the Centre to blend coal with imported coal in view of the likely coal shortage in summer and the use of the rail-sea-rail (RSR) mode for transporting coal from Mahanadi and Talchar coalfields in Odisha to Punjab via Mundra in Gujarat will escalate the cost by 20 per cent. I have conveyed it to the Centre,” Mann said.

“If Punjab starts following the same principle and sends its paddy via Pakistan and other states, the paddy cost will escalate throughout the country. Therefore, Punjab should get its coal through direct rail link,” he said.

On power theft, Mann said a campaign to raise awareness against it would be started by the government.

It is estimated that every year, power worth Rs 1,200 crore is stolen in the state, causing a huge loss to the state exchequer.

Earlier, speaking at the event, president of the engineers’ association Jasvir Singh Dhiman appreciated the restarting of the Pachwara coal mine.

“Punjab is expected to get a direct benefit of Rs 600 crore annually with the mine functioning again,” he said, adding that the state government should release the subsidy amount to the PSPCL in advance; otherwise there would be multiple implications like rise in tariff due to higher loans and non-conversion of loan into grants.

Also present on the occasion were Power Minister Harbhajan Singh, Horticulture Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Health Minister Balbir Singh, Principal Secretary (Power) Tejveer Singh and CMD (PSPCL) Baldev Singh Sran. Chief patron and chairman, All India Power Engineers Federation, Padamjit Singh and chairman Shailendra Dubey also attended the event.

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