Bajwa raises PPA, illegal mining issues during Punjab CM-Congress MPs meet

Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday said he has asked Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to revisit the power purchase agreements signed by the previous SAD-BJP government and take action against mining and transport mafia in the state.

Bajwa made the statement here after attending a meeting of Punjab Congress MPs and the chief minister to discuss budget proposals for the next fiscal and other issues.

The Rajya Sabha member said the meeting was held in a "conducive atmosphere" and he, along with other parliamentarians, asked the chief minister to revisit the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the previous state government in the wake of rising power tariff.

Bajwa has been criticising Singh and had even faced flak from Congress leaders for "joining hands" with the opposition in "attacking" his own party's government.

He said the previous SAD-BJP government had left some loopholes in the PPAs and the chief minister was asked by the MPs to bring out a white paper on PPAs before the monsoon session of the Punjab Assembly.

Bajwa said he also demanded that illegal mining in the state be stopped and action taken against those involved.

We also raised the issue of transport policy. We made a lot of promises but things are still the same after three years. The condition of state owned transport undertakings has not improved," he said.

"Poll promises have to be kept," the MP asserted.

During the meeting, he shook hands with Singh. Later, Bajwa said he was satisfied with the meeting as the chief minister took note of the issues raised by the MPs.

I do not have any personal issue. In the last three years, neither did I go to CM's residence nor his office," Bajwa said.