Thermal Plants: Sunil Kumar Jakhar blows whistle against own govt

“It is shocking that the PPCB has done it. When the entire state is talking about a demand of cancelling the PPAs of these power plants, the government is asking the Centre for more time to these white elephants. These power plants have cost the state dear. They have not spared the state of anything, starting from seeking the coal washing charges to going for arbitration in getting their dues. Moreover the state would end up paying Rs 65,000 crore to these in 25 years. Why are we sparing them?”, he asked.

Jakhar was referring to a letter written by PPCB to CPCB on December 23 last year stating that these thermal plants should be allowed to instal the required FGD by December 31, 2022 as the plants were in the process of installing these. He produced a copy of the PPCB letter.

As per the notification issued by CPCB in 2017, the thermal plants were mandated to install the FGD to reduce polluting emission. Strangely, the government that has been stating that they were willing to cancel the PPAs, under which sustenance changes were to be paid to the private plants even if the state did not need electricity from them, wrote to CPCB against closing these plants.

“I find it really strange. This was the time for us to let the CPCB shut them. It was time for us to spare the public of ever increasing power tariff. The law department has failed to inform the CM that there was a way to do it,” Jakhar said.

On a question that the state was being ruled by his party and he was not in opposition to raise this issue in media, Jakhar said, “I am going to take it up with the CM. I will take everything to him”.

The state government has been on the defensive on the issue of recent power hike after which one unit electricity costs Rs 8.36 in Punjab. Three private power generation plants have been blamed for the hike and high prices of power. The Congress had made a pre-poll promise that they would cancel these PPAs so as to help reduce the burden on people. But after coming to power it did not fulfill any such promise.

Jakhar had been opposing the power hike openly. He came out openly against the PPCB letter also. He has rather turned a whistle blower against his own government.