Alreadyreeling under an economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the small scaleindustries in Punjab have got another blow after the Punjab State PowerCorporation Limited (PSPCL) on Thursday imposed power regulatory measures withimmediate effect till July 3.
ThePSPCL in a circular issued to various industrial organizations, has decided toimpose two-day weekly offs on industry, including rolling mills, arc andinduction furnaces with immediate effect. Meanwhile, this has not gone downwell with the local industry and they have requested the Punjab Government toreview its decision and urged to exempt the penalties for violation of thePSPCL circular.
TheFederation of Punjab Small Industries Associations (FOPSIA) has condemned thedecision and said this will affect the working of industries and they have tobear production losses because of the disrupted power supply.
FOPSIAPresident Badish Jindal said on one hand the state government is claiming tohave surplus power and on the other hand they curtailed office timings andimposed weekly off on industries.
Hefurther said that this decision by the state government will impact 8,887 unitsacross the state and most of these are raw material suppliers for industriessuch as furnaces and rolling mills.
Meanwhile,speaking in support of the farmers and industrialists over electricity outages,Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal said Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh had practically reneged on the free power facility extended tofarmers by refusing to provide eight-hour uninterrupted supply during the peakpaddy season. He said the government even failed to fulfill its promise of cheapelectricity to the industrial sector.
AAPMLA and Youth Wing state president Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that the maincause for the high cost and shortage of power was the wrong power purchaseagreements made by the Badal government with the private thermal plants and thenon-cancellation of the agreements by the present Congress government.
"Likethe Badals, the Captain (present) government is also taking bribes from thepower companies," he alleged.
Also,the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced to 'gherao' the Chief Minister's farmhouseon July 3.
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