Onus on Punjab to build SYL canal, water a separate issue: Khattar
"It is the responsibility of the Punjab government to respect the Supreme Court's ruling and complete the canal construction," Khattar told reporters.
Punjab chief minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Monday held a high level meeting to discuss the industrial power tariff issue during which he asked two of his senior Cabinet colleagues to expedite efforts to facilitate early implementation of the Rs 5 per unit promise of the government.
The state Power minister Rana Gurjit and Finance minister Manpreet Badal have been asked to talk to the industry captains in an effort to resolve demands for non-retrospective implementation of fixed tariff on power, along with various other matters relating to industrial power rates.
An official spokesperson said after Monday’s meeting that the CM had taken serious note of the problems being faced by the industry, including the power tariff burden resulting from the imposition of fixed tariff by the regulator. CM also made it clear at the meeting that he would not brook further delay in the implementation of his promise for industrial power tariff being fixed at Rs 5 per unit, said the spokesperson. It was also added that the government was keen to make the new power structure a reality by 1 January, 2018.
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Among the key issues discussed at the meeting were the retrospective implementation of fixed tariff from 1 April, 2017, as announced by Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). With a financial implication of Rs 600 Crore, the retrospective implementation of fixed tariff has been opposed by the industry.
Asserting his commitment to providing electricity at variable cost of Rs 5 per unit to industry, as per the Congress manifesto promise, CM said the government was planning to subsidise to an extent the difference resulting from the imposition of the fixed charge by the regulator.
The CM, according to the spokesperson, had also directed the concerned officials to take up with the regulator the issue of co-generation and sick units, so that the impact of the new two-part tariff scheme on them could be minimised.
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