A day after the Punjab government decided to close down the inefficient power plants in Bathinda and Ropar from 1 January, the AamAadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday termed the move anti-people and anti-employment. Though the state government has already made it clear that the employees working with both the units will not be losing their jobs.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, AAP co-president, AmanArora said the state government’s decision to shut down Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) in Bathinda and Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSSTP) in Ropar was unfortunate.
He accused the government for leaving the state dependent of private owned power plants.
Arora alleged that at a time when the state governments in Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were upgrading the power plants with new technology, the Punjab government was shutting them down. Meanwhile, AAP Member of Parliament (MP) Bhagwant Mann said, alleged that the state government has miserably failed to keep its words made before the polls.
He alleged that the power plants were being closed on the ground that Rs 11.50 per unit power production was expensive, while the government was allowing Rs 2,700 Crore to three private power plants.
As per the decision taken by Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday, considering the guidelines of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to retire inefficient and economically unviable power plants in operation for more than 25 years, all units of 460 Mega Watt (MW), GNDTP and Unit-1 and 2 of 1260 MW GGSSTP in Ropar, will be shut down from 1 January.
It may be noted that all the power unit in Bathinda had been in operation for nearly four decades and in Ropar it had completed 33 years. “All regular employees of these units would be adjusted within Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).