Mockingat his own government in Punjab over power outages, Congress leader and formerCabinet minister Navjot Sidhu on Friday asked the government to change the modelof extending subsidies to generation companies.
"Thereis no need for power cuts in Punjab or for the Chief Minister to regulateoffice timings or AC use of the Common People...If we act in the rightdirection," said a sulking Sidhu, who met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and RahulGandhi separately in New Delhi on June 30 and apprised them of the politicalsituation in Punjab that will go to the polls early next year.
Facingsevere electricity crisis, the Punjab government curtailed timings ofgovernment offices from Friday, and cut down power supply to high energyconsuming industries with immediate effect to save crops and ease the domesticpower situation.
Sidhu,in a series of back-to-back tweets, said, "Punjab already gives Rs 9,000crore power subsidy but Delhi gives only Rs 1,699 crore as power subsidy.
"IfPunjab copies Delhi model, we will get merely Rs 1,600-2,000 crore as Subsidy.To better serve the people of Punjab -- Punjab needs an original Punjab model,not a copied Model!!"
Indirectlyhinting at a nexus between the government and power generating companies byrevealing the truth of power costs, cuts, power purchase agreements and how togive free and 24-hour power to the people of Punjab, Sidhu said: "Punjab'srevenue per unit of consumption is one of the lowest in India, due to gross mismanagementof the complete power purchase and supply system...
"PSPCLpays Rs 0.18 per unit 'extra' on every unit supplied, even after receiving overRs 9,000 crore in subsidy from the state."
Favouringinvesting in renewable energy, that he said, is becoming cheaper along withbeing environmental-friendly, Sidhu said, "But Punjab's potential fromsolar and biomass energy remains unutilised even though Central financialschemes can be availed for these projects.
"PEDAspends its time just on energy efficiency awareness".
Speakingon the lines of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sidhu explained thatabout the Punjab model for power by saying that the money spent on givingunreasonable and exuberant profits to private thermal plants should be utilisedfor welfare of people, i.e., giving power subsidy for free power for domesticuse up to 300 units, 24 hours supply and to invest in education and healthcare.
Accordingto Sidhu, Punjab is buying power at an average cost of Rs 4.54 per unit, whilethe national average is Rs 3.85 per unit and Chandigarh is paying Rs 3.44 perunit.
"Punjab'sover-dependence on three private thermal plants at Rs 5-8 per unit makes Punjabpay more than other states."
Blamingthe power purchase agreements (PPAs) that the previous Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD)-BJP government had signed with three private thermal power plants, hesaid till 2020 Punjab has paid Rs 5,400 crore due to faulty clauses in theseagreements. It is expected to pay Rs 65,000 crore of people's money just asfixed charges.
Favouringthe need to set aside the PPAs, Sidhu said the state can purchase power fromthe national grid at much cheaper rates. "But these Badal-signed PPAs areacting against Punjab's public interest. Punjab may not be able to re-negotiatethese PPAs due to them having legal protection from honourable courts, Butthere is a way forward."
Sidhu'stoday's assertions on power outages came days after AAP national convenorKejriwal kicked off the campaign in the state by announcing free and subsidisedelectricity in the state, a tested formula of his own in the national capital.
Addressinga press conference in Chandigarh on June 29, Kejriwal offered free electricityup to 300 units and promised to waive all the old electricity bills andarrears, if AAP forms the government in Punjab.
Speculationsin political circles are rife that Sidhu may join the AAP ahead of the 2022Assembly elections.