Chandigarh: The opposition AAP and SAD today hit out at the Congress-led Punjab government for deciding to close down the "inefficient" units of Bathinda and Ropar thermal plants, claiming this will leave the consumers "at the mercy of private power producers". Yesterday, the Punjab Cabinet approved the closure of the "inefficient" power units of 460 MW Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda and Unit-1 and 2 (2x210 MW) of 1260 MW Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant (GGSSTP), Ropar, with effect from January 1, 2018, without any job losses.   

In a statement here, AAP Punjab unit president and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann and co-president Aman Arora described the government's move of closing down the state-owned power units as "anti-Punjab" and accused the state government of "leaving customers at the mercy of private power producers". They claimed that with the closure of the state-owned power units, consumers would be left with no option except to pay "exorbitant" charges for electricity to private power plants as private producers would impose charges as per their desire.   

"It is the result of the policies of the previous government as well as the present Congress government that the state is being forced to rely on the private electricity generating firms," they said, adding that the AAP strongly opposed the decision and stood by thousands of employees of these plants. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said the Congress party was allegedly reneging on its pre-election promise not to shut down the Bathinda thermal plant, even as it demanded the plant be modernised to ensure it remained an asset to the state.   

In a statement here, former minister and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the Congress party had promised in the run-up to the Assembly election that it would not close down the Bathinda plant and instead would ensure that it becomes fully functional.   "Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal was party to giving this solemn promise. 

Even a few days back former Congress legislator from Bathinda Harminder Singh Jassi gave a commitment to the people that the plant would not be shut down. It is condemnable that the party has gone back on this solemn word," Majithia said.