Chandigarh, October 28
Instead of granting financial relief or a package to Punjab, the Union Government has given it shock treatment which officials of the PSEB describe as discrimination in the allocation of power from the Central pool for the winter season.

The Centre’s new order on the allocation of power from the Central pool to northern states will become operative from November 1. The Union Government has at its disposal 1,206 MW from the Central pool and it uses its discretion to allocate it to Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

Power from the Central pool is made available at a controlled price. Power from other sources has to be bought at highly competitive rates, say Rs 6 to Rs 7 per unit, through the National Power Trading Corporation from the surplus states by the highly deficit states like Punjab. During the winter, Punjab faces an average shortfall of 200 lakh units daily and has to buy power from outside sources to meet the demand.

Punjab has been discriminated against as compared to Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan in the allocation of power. The Union Power Ministry authorities have allocated only 2 per cent share to the state during the peak demand hours (say 10 a.m. to 6 p.m) when offices, shops and factories are open. From 6 p.m. to 11 p.m, which are also considered peak power demand hours, again Punjab has been allocated only 2 per cent share from 1,206 MW.

However, from 11 p.m. to 12 p.m. midnight and from midnight to 6 a.m., when the demand for power is negligible and the state can depend solely on its own power resources, Punjab has been allocated 15 per cent share. Officials of the PSEB say that the Union Power Ministry will be dumping power in Punjab during the low-demand hours when it will not be required in Delhi, UP, Haryana and other northern states. It will be denying the same to Punjab when it will be requiring power the most.

Take the case of Delhi which, along with Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and even Chandigarh, has been favoured. Delhi has been allocated 15 to 25 per cent share during the peak hours of power demand and 0 per cent during what officials say are minimal demand hours such as from midnight to 10 a.m. when offices, shops and other business and trade organisations and even factories remain closed. Haryana has been treated almost on a par with Delhi. It has been allocated 20 per cent share almost round the clock except from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. when the allocation will be slightly lower (18 per cent).

Rajasthan has been allocated 20 per cent share round the clock except from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. when it will get 15 per cent. Chandigarh will get 5 per cent share round the clock. Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly election winds have started blowing, has also been given 23 and 20 per cent share during the peak hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., respectively. And from 12 midnight to 10 a.m. Uttar Pradesh will get 25 per cent share.

Jammu and Kashmir has been given 15 per cent share round the clock. The allocation of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh is 0 per cent because the 600 MW surplus power of Himachal, which was allocated to Delhi, Punjab and Haryana in equal proportion up to October 31,2006 (summer season), will be returned to Himachal from November 1 (winter season).

Top officials of the PSEB engaged in managing the power situation in the state say that from November 1, Punjab will have to buy energy at a higher price — between Rs 6 and 7 per unit — through the corporation during the peak demand hours because the Union Government has almost denied the allocation of power from the Central pool during these hours to the state. However, states like Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh will be getting power from the Central pool during these hours at a controlled price — Rs 3 or so per unit.