The Vigilance Bureau of Punjab government has commenced an investigation into Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), emphasising that any tampering with the agreements will not be tolerated. In response to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Maan's directive, vigilance bureau has taken charge of scrutinising the record of PPAs between PSPCL and over 90 energy companies. CM Maan asserts that accountability will be upheld, ensuring no leniency in any irregularities. The move follows the report of Captain Amarinder Singh led previous Congress government, to the inquiry commission in November 2021, which, to date, has not reached any conclusive findings.
Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh had also, during his tenure, identified only 17 valid PPAs among numerous electricity procurement agreements. The Aam Aadmi Party has consistently called for an investigation into all PPAs during the Akali-BJP regime, highlighting potential financial losses to the state. Even in the face of power supply shortages, the AAP remains critical of paying higher prices for electricity.
Meanwhile, the state government has already taken control of the Goindwal Sahib project in public interest. Investigations into PPAs will extend to two other private thermal projects in Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo. It is worth noting that the highest rate for purchasing electricity from 95 companies was set at 17.91 per unit. The current government has renegotiated nine PPAs at rates ranging from 2.50 to 3 rupees per unit, a significant deviation from previous agreements exceeding 8 rupees per unit.
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