Punjab Chief Minister Captain (Retd.) Amarinder Singh on Monday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of failing to provide free power to the farmers in the national capital.
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He also accused the AAP supremo of making false promises on “free power” in Punjab with an eye on the 2022 Assembly polls.
“The Kejriwal government has completely failed the people of Delhi on all counts, with no free power to the farmers in the villages located in the national capital and charging excessively high-power tariffs for the industry,” said Captain Amarinder, asserting that the people of Punjab have already rejected the pathetic Delhi model of governance on all counts.
The Punjab Chief Minister termed the Delhi power tariff structure a case of organised loot by the AAP government, which was openly allowing private power distribution companies in Delhi, including the Reliance Group, to fill their pockets at the cost of the common man.
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“While Delhi is charging ₹9.80 per unit for industrial power, the Congress government in Punjab is levying a subsidised tariff of ₹5 per unit to attract industry, and the State has witnessed more than ₹85,000 crore worth of investment visible on the ground in the last 4 years. Subsidised power is being given to 1,43,812 industrial units with an annual subsidy of ₹2,226 crore,” he said in statement.
“In sharp contrast to Punjab, where his government was giving free power worth ₹6,735 crore to 13,79,217 farmers, the AAP government in Delhi had made no effort whatsoever to extend similar support to the agricultural community there.”
Capt. Amarinder said the Delhi government was befooling the people by putting a small amount into one pocket, by way of 200 units of free domestic power, and taking away a higher amount from the other pocket by way of high tariffs being paid by the shopkeepers, industry and farmers for commercial and agriculture power.
Aam Aadmi Paty (AAP) Lok Sabha MP and Punjab president Bhagwant Mann blamed the ruling Congress government for ongoing power crisis in the State.
He said the faulty Power Purchase Agreements implemented by previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government with the private power companies and continued by the present Congress government has led to the crisis. “AAP, if elected to power, will cancel these agreements,” he said here at a press conference.
Mr. Mann said that ahead of the 2022 elections, the AAP will come up with an effective road map for the people of Punjab so that they would be economically prosperous and culturally rich.