Patiala, November 4 - Convenor of Power Sector Reforms Forum Eng. Bhupinder Singh and co-convener Dr. Malkit Singh has revealed that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has incurred a loss of Rs 4782 crore in the year 2022-23 while the debt has increased by Rs 1170 crore.
Addressing a press conference at the Patiala Media Club here today on the occasion of the release of a white paper titled 'Punjab's Power Sector and Review of Power Purchase Agreements', Eng. Bhupinder Singh and Dr. Malkit Singh said that while the company had a profit of Rs 1106 crore in the year 2021-22, it has suffered a loss of Rs 4782 crore in the year 2022-23. He said that during this period the debt of the company has also increased by Rs 1170 crore. Where the debt was Rs 17545 crore in 2021-22, it has now increased to Rs 18715 crore. He also claimed that the Punjab government still owes Rs 10,000 crore of subsidy which has not been paid. He said that of course the subsidy has been paid in 2022-23 but the arrears are still standing.
Answering questions, he told how Haryana, Rajasthan and other states have increased power generation capacity in their respective states but the new Bhagwant Mann government of Punjab has not paid any attention to increase power generation capacity. He said that the capacity of the ATC line which brings electricity from outside to Punjab is being increased every year and electricity is being bought at expensive prices from the exchange, the entire burden of which is falling on the consumers.
In response to the question about the purchase of Goindwal Sahib plant by the government, he said that if the government buys this plant, then it is a good thing, but still the government should increase the capacity of power generation in the government sector. He also told how the Rajasthan government is going to install a 90 thousand megawatt solar plant and the companies installing it will give 7 percent of the electricity production to the government companies for free.
Eng. Bhupinder Singh and Dr. Malkit Singh also said that the solar plant that Bhagwant Mann government is talking about installing in Gobindpura, firstly, its land belongs to a private company, secondly, only 200 megawatts of its electricity production is to be provided to Punjab, 1000 megawatts from Punjab. To be supplied outside. He said that it is very unfortunate that during the elections, the AAP government had promised that there would be a review of the power purchase agreements when the government was formed, but nothing has been done and this government is also following the path of the previous governments.