Punjab to review 'excess' power bills of SC, Backward Class families: minister

Punjab government is set to review the "excess" electricity bills of the scheduled caste and backward class (SC/BC) families, state power minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar told the assembly Thursday.

"I have just talked to the finance minister. We are going to review the excess electricity bills (of SC, BC families) for the last two years, Kangar informed the House.

He was replying to the calling attention notice of AAP MLAs Harpal Singh Cheema, Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Gurmeet Singh Meet who sought to draw his attention towards "high cost of electricity" in the state.

Kangar blamed the previous SAD-BJP government for the pending power bills.

They (SAD-BJP) promised gullible people during poll campaigning (in 2017) that power bills will be waived if they come to power for the third time. This is the main reason behind the pending and excess bills, Kangar said.

Notably, last month, the state government had decided to remove the upper annual limit of 3,000 units for electricity consumption by SC/BC and BPL families, enabling domestic consumers in these categories to avail 200 units per month free of cost.

Taking a swipe at the former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Kangar alleged that the then CM had asked power employees not to look at 'Kundi' (illegal) power connections in the state.

As the AAP members pressed the state government for cancelling the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed during erstwhile SAD-BJP regime, Congress MLA and former power minister Rana Gurjit Singh intervened in the matter and sought probe into these pacts.

"They (AAP) have raised a right issue. When I was the power minister, I got it calculated that the state would bear the burden of Rs 62,500 crore in the next 25 years on account of power purchase agreements, claimed Kapurthala MLA.

Alleging it was the government officers who did not let the probe, Rana said, "the probe (into power purchase pacts) should take place.

AAP legislator Aman Arora asked if Amarinder Singh could terminate the water sharing agreements in 2004, then why the power purchase agreements with private players could not be terminated.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition and AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema claimed that the state government was bearing a financial burden to the tune of Rs 2,700 crore per annum on account of power purchase agreements and demanded their cancellation.

To this, Kangar while taking a dig at AAP, asked, "has your government in Delhi reviewed PPA? If they have done so, then we will see here.

Rubbishing the claims of AAP that power was costlier in Punjab than Delhi, state power minister said Punjab charges Rs 25 to Rs 70 kw per connection as against Rs 125 to Rs 250 KW in Delhi.

"The supply of power to industry, domestic consumers and agriculture is cheaper in Punjab than in Delhi, he said.