Channi questions Pb govt's claim of surplus power

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi today asked why the SAD-BJP led Punjab government bought power at "exorbitant" price when it had been claiming that the state was power surplus.
He said the state government had purchased power worth Rs 58,461.02 crore since 2007, citing information secured by state Congress member Jasdeepak Singh through an RTI enquiry.
"Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal should explain to the people of Punjab why this exorbitant amount has been spent on purchasing of power if the state is power surplus or it is being projected as power surplus," Channi said in a statement here.

He added that the cost of power purchased by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has been increasing every year since 2011-12.
He said in the year 2011-12, PSPCL bought power worth Rs 5,284.85 crore, which rose to Rs 7,218.81 crore in 2012-13.
"In just four months (April to July 2015) the purchase was Rs 4,966.41 crore," he claimed.
He claimed power was being purchased from the private sector, while state-owned utilities were being shut down.