The biggest promise the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made to Punjab in 2022 and later fulfilled is now pushing Punjab towards a dark age, as the power freebies have delivered a double whammy for the debt-ridden Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
As the state braces for a possible blackout and power cuts, the opposition parties in Punjab have sharpened their attack on the Aam Aadmi Party’s 300-unit free electricity scheme
The promise itself is fake. Meanwhile, Punjab Power Minister Tarunpreet Sondh has blamed the Union Government for the power shortage in the state. “Over the past two to three days, I received numerous calls from industrial associations and farmer unions. Even then, unexpected technical faults occurred at the Talwandi Sabo and NPL Rajpura thermal plants. “A remarkable trend was observed this September. Whether one attributes it to El Nino or a delayed monsoon, this is a historic and remarkable milestone.
Because the Punjab government is in no position to pay PSPCL the subsidy against this facility, “The 300-unit free electricity scheme has completely crumbled. The state’s power subsidy bill in 2022-23 was Rs 20,000 crore. Of this, the biggest share was for free farm electricity at Rs 9,063.79 crore, Rs 8,225 crore for the 300 free unit scheme and Rs 2,910 crore for subsidised industrial power. If any consumer uses even one unit above the fixed 300 units a month, they have to pay the entire electricity bill with no relief,” Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal said. As I explained in my press conference three days ago, some of the strain came from coal supply cuts by Coal India under the Central Government, along with a shortfall of nearly 1,000 MW from our entitled share in the central power pool. In previous years, power demand during September typically hovered around 13,100 MW. This year, peak demand surged to 16,600 MW – an unprecedented rise of 3,500 MW in a single month. Despite that sudden extra load of 3,500 MW, the PSPCL department navigated the challenge and overcame it.
State Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said by providing free power to all domestic consumers, the AAP government was in fact overburdening taxpayers. He said that his party supports free power to the needy but “not at the cost of other consumers”. Power was also scarce in the open private market, even though we had kept Rs 2,000 crore reserved to buy electricity if needed,” Sondh said while informing that the “state has already stocked sufficient coal from its own Pachhwara mines for the state’s thermal units. That is a major achievement for the Punjab Government,” he said.
AAP Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Free Electricity Scheme
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal reiterated their support for the party’s promise of free electricity. Mann stated that domestic consumers receive 300 units of free electricity each month, with approximately 90% of households enjoying zero electricity bills. He emphasized that the scheme is implemented fairly and without discrimination, assuring citizens that as long as the AAP remains in power, they will continue to receive free power and round-the-clock supply.
