Punjab Newsline
PSEB Engineers blame lopsided policies of Punjab Govt for present power crisis
VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
Sunday, 28 June 2009
PATIALA: PSEB Engineers Association in an open letter to Chief Minister Punjab has blamed the lopsided policies of successive Governments on power sector for the current power crisis in the state.

The previous Government ignored the capacity addition and depended on costly power purchases to mitigate the sufferings of people and the present Government identified new thermal projects of 5940 MW and revived the 540 MW Goindwal thermal projects but has made the mistake of giving all the projects in private sector.

HS Bedi President of the association said the demand-supply gap in the last 10 Years has increased manifold due to non addition of adequate generation capacity in the state and the network has become over loaded due to lack of investment in the transmission and distribution sectors. If corrective steps are not taken, we may see “power riots” in the coming years, Bedi said. The state can not boost of becoming power surplus state without investing a single paisa in any project.

Bhupinder Singh General Secretary of Association said that all the states except Punjab have planned their capacity addition in the next 3-4 years mainly through Central or State Sector projects with private sector playing the supporting role. Haryana has planned 1800 MW in next 3 years with state funding, Rajasthan 1790 MW, Uttar Pradesh 2000 MW and Gujarat 2752 MW. However despite severe economic meltdown, Punjab has planned to add 6480 MW through private developers in the next 3 years which is totally unrealistic.

Padamjit Singh Patron of Association said that the power supply position in the state is going to worsen in the coming years as not even a single MW of new generating capacity is expected to be added in the state. The work at 1980 MW Talwandi Sabo thermal project awarded to Vedanta group in August 2008 is yet to start with the group demanding more concessions. Punjab State Regulatory Commission declining to give approval to the unreasonable rates quoted by single bidder for the 1320 MW Rajpura project the Board management on the verbal advice of state government has gone for re-bidding to find out private developer for the Rajpura thermal project without consulting technocrats. The 2640 MW Gidderwaha project is concerned, the response at the very initial stage of ‘RFQ’ was very poor & with coal linkage issue with Ministry of coal still unresolved, the bidding process has been held up. Thus all the new projects are not likely to provide any relief to state in the next 4 to 5 years. IN the present scenario the best alternative is to execute Ralpura thermal project through state funding and Gidderwaha project through joint venture with NTPC.

H S Bedi said that the other step required to be taken urgently is to control demand by curbing wasteful use of electricity for which state Government has to show zero tolerance towards power theft. It is a matter of fact that influential consumers having right political connections consider it their right to indulge in power theft by intimidating the staff and officers of PSEB.