Chief secy to head panel on power rates
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 29
Chief secretary Ramesh Inder Singh will head the committee set up by Punjab government to negotiate power rate with a private company selected to set up a thermal plant at Rajpura near Patiala.

Other members of the committee will be the secretary (power), the secretary (finance), the secretary (PSEB) and member (generation) of the PSEB. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal cleared a file in this regard today. The committee has been asked by Badal to negotiate power rates with the company. The company which was single bidder for a thermal plant had quoted the power aids in the range of Rs 3.30 per unit, it is learnt.

However, these rates are not acceptable to Punjab government which feels these are on the higher side compared to the power aids in other states. Punjab government wanted the power aid should be below Rs 3 per unit.

The government wanted to make the state self sufficient in power. It has approved new thermal plants near Talwandi Saboo, Rajpura and Goindwal Sahib. There is also proposal to set one plant at Giddherbaha. All these thermal plants are to be set up in private sector.

The existing thermal plants at Bathinda Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar are being operated by the PSEB.