18 June 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : Bajwa said the number of feeders reporting a power loss of over 50% has gone up. As per the report, the state has been losing ₹1,850 crore per annum to power theft. The border and Malwa belts have been the worst-affected areas.
The leader of the opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for its failure to keep check on the growing power theft in the state.
While referring to a HT news report published on Monday, “Punjab shocker: State losing ₹1,850 crore annually to power theft”, Bajwa said the number of feeders reporting a power loss of over 50% has gone up. As per the report, the state has been losing ₹1,850 crore per annum to power theft. The border and Malwa belts have been the worst-affected areas.
“Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and power minister Harbhajan Singh ETO must explain why they failed to stop the power theft, which is causing a huge loss to Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL). Is PSPCL competitive enough to deal with such issues,” Bajwa asked.
He said, “The senior leadership of the AAP Punjab, including CM Mann, have boasted in the past about being a power surplus state. They also vowed to provide uninterrupted power supply for the domestic, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Meanwhile, the bubble of their claims has burst. All their promises and guarantees have proven to be hollow.”
“What is the point of giving free power up to 300 units per month as the people of Punjab have been suffering long unscheduled power cuts,” Bajwa said.