Power pacts: Despite CM’s order, no White Paper yet

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 9

Despite an assurance by CM Capt Amarinder Singh in the Vidhan Sabha in January 2020, a ‘White Paper’ on the ‘cost of power and power purchase agreements’ (PPAs) is still a mystery.

Capt planned to present it in 2020

• An official letter by the CM on January 17, 2020, confirms that he had asked the then Additional Chief Secretary (Power) to ensure that the White Paper was ready to be presented in the 2020 Budget session
• A minister said constant delays ensured that no White Paper on power could be submitted or approved by the Cabinet for over a year after the government’s statement in the Vidhan Sabha

Stop loot of exchequer

Until the power deals are cancelled, private power companies will continue to loot the treasury and the people of Punjab. — Harpal Cheema, Leader of opposition

Sources within the government confirm that despite repeated attempts even by the government and Cabinet ministers, “a complete White Paper elaborating the faulty PPAs and the officers behind signing those” are yet to be submitted.

“Without White Paper being made public, scrapping or revisiting PPAs serves no purpose. Till the same set of officers continues to stonewall the complete White Paper, nothing on scrapping of PPAs is possible,” they revealed.

An official letter, in possession of The Tribune, by the CM on January 17, 2020, confirms that he had asked the then Additional Chief Secretary (Power) to ensure that the White Paper was ready to be presented in the Budget session of 2020. “I would like the White Paper to be presented in the next session, preferably in the next Budget session. The exercise may be initiated forthwith with the required diligence,” read an official note from the CM dispatched on January 20, 2020, from his office.

A top minister said constant delays ensured that “no White Paper on power could be submitted or approved by the Cabinet for over a year after statement by the government in the Vidhan Sabha”. “Even the CM’s letter to the ACS could not ensure that the White Paper is ready to be presented in the House,” he said.

A senior minister privy to the developments confirmed that almost a year later, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the CM, attended by four Cabinet ministers, Chief Secretary and the PSPCL CMD on March 23, 2021, to “discuss draft White Paper on power sector in Punjab”. However, the White Paper is yet to be made public. “Even after a year, the one under discussion was raw draft and did not have the names of any

officer to be held

accountable,” he added.

A former chief engineer with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited said on the one hand the government admitted that the PPAs were faulty and needed to be revisited, but on the other, it was yet to “issue a White Paper with complete details of officers who were at the helm of affairs

when those were signed”.

“As a result, consumers continue to pay high power tariff and every year private companies continue to win court battles and tribunal hearings due to faulty PPAs,” he said.

There was no reply on the issue of White Paper from the CM’s office, while PSPCL CMD A Venu Prasad said it was

with the government.