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Would the high voltage thermal current shake the Amarinder government into action?

Image result for pics of sunil jakhar with capt amarinder singh




Despite the announcement by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to  bring out a white paper on the power purchase agreements signed with private thermal power plants by the Parkash Singh Badal headed Akali Dal-BJP government, the Congress leaders led by state party chief continue to raise the heat that directly impacts the people in Punjab.
Sunil Jakhar is now in aggressive mode building up pressure on Capt Amarinder Singh to act. Jakhar  as the state Congress chief has to face the wrath of both his party leaders, both in and out of the government, and the people.
The latest provocation is the way the Punjab Pollution Control Board has come out in defense of these power plants in private sector pleading with the centre to grant them another two years to install the required pollution control equipment. Jakhar has said  the failure of these plants to act on the directive in stipulated time should have been used to shut down these plants that have turned out to be big burden. The power rates in Punjab are amongst the highest in the country due to these three thermal plants.
The basic issue is that the state government is committed to purchase  a fixed quantity of power at the contracted rate from these plants even if there is no demand. The power plants of the state power corporation have to be shut down to purchase power from these plants. The agreement with these thermal plants is for a period of 25 years. It has been reported that in no othyer state such agreement has been signed.
The Congress had promised to order probe into the PPAs after coming into power but nothing has been done so far. Jakhar want Capt Amarinder Singh to act, and act without delay. This government completes three years in power this month.
Ironically, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was instrumental in the signing of these agreements, too is now aggressive speaking on this very issue lambasting  Capt Amarinder Singh for repeated hikes in power rates.
Capt Amarinder Singh’s only announcement so far has been on bringing out white paper during the monsoon session of the Assembly. That is being considered to be too little and too late.
It may be mentioned that earlier, former state party chief and now Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa too had  accused Capt Amarinder Singh of inaction on this controversial issue.
At the time when Capt Amarinder Singh was increasingly coming under attack from within his own party, he confronted the Modi government determinedly on the issue of CAA-NPR-NRC. The Punjab Assembly was the first to pass resolution against CAA amongst the Congress ruled states. It is the fight on this issue at the national level that matters to the Congress leadership at the national level and not the PPAs. Capt Aamrinder Singh has positioned himself strategically in this bigger fight.
What is important in this fight is that the Shaheen Bagh movement that now symbolises this struggle is getting support from non-Akali sections in Punjab. Groups of activists from various sections have been joining the protest at Shaheen Bagh.
However, the issue of power relates to governance. The AAP government has set the example of good governance in Delhi.
Punjab was the first state to introduce governance reforms during the Akali regime but it is AAP that is set to harvest political gains by successfully implementing the pro-people initiatives, including the reduction in power bills.
The political current from the thermal plants is now turning high voltage. It is to be seen if it would spur the Amarinder government into action or not.


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