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Punjab Govt should strongly resist ‘sinister move’ of UT Chandigarh to privatize electricity: Bir Devinder
Chandigarh June 15, 2021: Bir Devinder Singh, former Deputy Speaker Punjab and Senior Vice-president SAD (Taksali) strongly opposed the plan of the UT Administration to privatize electricity in Chandigarh. He said that the Punjab Government should strongly resist the ‘sinister move’ of the administration.
“There is a sinister move by the Government of India to privatize Electricity supply in the Union Territories. But there is no justification for privatization power supply in the case of UT, Chandigarh, and a city that has negligible line losses, low tariff, and good consumer service. And above all the power department in the UT, Chandigarh has been earning profit for long and it was in the range of Rs 260 crore during the last fiscal year,” said Bir Devinder Singh.
Singh claimed that the privatization of electricity in Chandigarh will lead to a hike in tariff.
“If the privatization of electricity supply is adopted for Chandigarh, there would be a definite hike in the tariff, consumer discontent, and in addition, the futile exercise would cause an enormous burden on the exchequer. There has been widespread apprehension and sense of disquiet in the public mind that the GOI is adopting Privatization policy only to give financial benefit to corporate and big business houses particularly to the Adanis,” he said.
Further criticizing the Central Government for the privatization plant, he suggested that the UT Administration of Chandigarh should not take any decision in haste and think about its long-term consequences.
“On the other hand, the Central Government is swallowing Punjab's capital Chandigarh, in bits and pieces, to which as a grave injustice to Punjab; the Central Government has deliberately kept as UT for an indefinite period. Moreover, Chandigarh is a Capital of Punjab despite being a disputed territory between Punjab and Haryana, therefore, the UT administration should not take any such policy decision in haste which has far-reaching implications,” the leader added.
He further alleged that the latest move of the Centre to privatize the distribution of power in the Union Territory, Chandigarh is designed to benefit the business interests of the selected favorite corporate houses, having the patronage of a powerful duo at the Centre.
“As of now power department of UT Chandigarh is earning substantial profit and the eagle eye of the corporation is obviously on that profit because the last year’s profit of power department Chandigarh was more than Rs. 260 crores. How could the central government decision to privatize the power distribution in the UT Chandigarh, when this decision would have a long-term effect for the next 30 years or more because the distribution contract would be given at least for 30 years? Moreover, Chandigarh is Punjab's capital, the transfer of which is due to the State of Punjab at any time; therefore no long-term or short-term policy decision can be taken by the center about any department in the UT Chandigarh, without the approval of Punjab. I wonder why the Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh is in deep slumber over these significant issues pertained to the vital interests of Punjab,” he said.
"It would have been better if Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his cabinet colleagues had taken due notice of this development and should have lodged a protest to the UT Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore about the process of privatization, that includes floating of tenders and asking for an expression of interest, of power supply in Chandigarh urging him to stop it immediately. But unfortunately, Punjab Government has preferred to keep mum over this issue for reasons best known to it. It is learned that the UT administrator V.P. Singh Badnore is taking a keen interest in the privatization of the power in Punjab's capital Chandigarh. As a matter of legitimate probity, no constitutional authority should take any policy decision with far-reaching implications, particularly when such authority is about to demit office very soon. Since the current tenure of Governor V.P Singh Badnore is due to end in August therefore as a Governor Punjab, the People of Punjab would legitimately expect from him that he would not harm the vital interests of Punjab at the ‘fag end of his current tenure. Actually, Governor Punjab was appointed as an administrator of UT, Chandigarh with the understanding that he would not allow Punjab’s interests to suffer in UT and would rather protect the interest of the state of which Chandigarh is a capital,” Bir Devinder said.
He informed that he would be separately writing to heads of all the political parties in Punjab to raise their voice against the process of power supply privatization initiated by the UT Administration in Chandigarh and about other issues such as ensuring the 60 percent quota of Punjab employees in all UT Chandigarh departments including police, transport, administration and so on.