Chandigarh, Oct 29 (PTI) The main opposition party inPunjab, the Aam Admi Party, today asked the state governmentto scrap all power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed duringthe previous SAD-BJP dispensation, failing which they willlaunch a state-wide agitation against the Congress partygovernment.
In a joint statement, the AAP alleged that the Congressmade a "false promise" to people in their election manifesto,that all PPAs signed by former deputy chief minister SukhbirBadal and ex-minister Bikram Majithia would be made afresh.
AAP state president Bhagwant Mann, along with hispartymen, asked Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh andCongress chief Sunil Jakhar "why his government did not scrapthe power purchase agreements, something they allege weresigned at a higher rate by the previous SAD-BJP government".
"What is stopping Amarinder Singh from taking actionagainst the corrupt Akalis? Everybody knows about corruptiondone by the Badals, but the people of the state are moreinterested to know what actions the newly-elected Congressgovernment has taken in the last seven months to rectify thedamage done by Akalis," Mann said.
The government had yesterday claimed that the PPAs signedby the power utility Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd.
(PSPCL) with private companies during the SAD-BJP regime forthe purchase of energy at a "higher" rate was one of the primereasons behind the recent tariff hike.
Buttressing the AAP's point further, the Leader ofOpposition in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Khaira, accused thechief minister of "preferring to shut down state-owned powerplants instead of taking action against private players".
The AAP leaders have demanded that a probe be initiatedand action should be taken against those responsible. Theyhave also threatened state-wide agitation if their demand wasnot fulfilled.
Under fire over the power tariff hike, the rulingCongress had blamed the previous SAD-BJP regime for puttingthe power sector into a "mess" and said the state governmenthas ordered a third party audit of the power purchaseagreements signed during previous regime to "unmask" the"scam". PTI CHS MGABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.