Munish Nagar:

The call for voluntary surrendering of the power subsidy for tube-wells in farm sector has proved to be a big flop. Only on MLA Sukhpal Khaira has surrendered the subsidy. The most interesting fact is that even the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has not given up the power subsidy.

Advocate Hari Chand Arora, who is popular as H.C. Arora said that the information he gathered through the RTI from the office of Chief Engineer(Commercial), Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), has revealed that only one farmer Sukhpal Singh Khaira,  MLA (Bholath), had submitted a letter for voluntary surrendering of AP subsidy of his 9 tube-well  connection, which was considered by the concerned Committee in its 180th meeting held on April 11, 2016, and it was decided that in case a consumer willfully opts to surrender the AP subsidy, then AP Tariff without such subsidy shall be applicable.

However, no decision was taken on the said date, it being a policy matter. Subsequently, the GOP took a decision, which was conveyed by OSD,Power Reforms to the PSPCL, that in case any consumer oon his own wants to surrender the  AP tube-well power subsidy, the Government shall not have any objection to it.

It was therefore, decided that necessary action be taken on the letter submitted by Khaira (then Ex-MLA) accordingly.

The aforesaid information has been provided to Advocate Hari Chand Arora in response to an application dated August 7, 2017 submitted by him to the SPIO in the office of Secretary PSPCL, Patiala, asking him to give the list of those farmers, who have given up or surrendered power subsidy on the appeal of Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

Advocate Arora had also requested that a copy of the scheme, if any, framed by the PSPCL for giving up power subsidy by farmers is also supplied to him.

Thus, it appears that the scheme for voluntary surrendering of power subsidy of tube-wells has proved a big flop, and not even a single farmer has submitted any application for surrendering the power subsidy.

Even Capt Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister, Punjab himself has not so far surrendered the power subsidy or any of his Cabinet Ministers or the Congress MLAs, have done so. Opposition parties have also not responded to the call of Chief Minister.

There are about 14 lakh tube wells in agriculture sector to which free power is provided by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited ( PSPCL). However, the expenditure on the power has to be reimbursed by the State Government on the basis of the power subsidy bill determined by the Punjab State power Regulatory Authority.

It is worth mentioning that as per RTI information received by advocate H.C. Arora, separately from PSPCL, total figure of power subsidy for farmers as determined by the Regulatory Commission for the year 2016-2017 is Rs.6113.66 crores, against which the PSPCL has so far been released subsidy amount of Rs.3985.59 crore only.

Further, it appears that the Punjab Government is not paying the total amount of such power subsidy for farmers during the previous years. For instance, against an amount of Rs.5253.89 crore determined by the Regulatory Commission for the year 2015-2016, the State Government has released only an amount of Rs.4337.00 crore. Thus, the remaining burden of Rs.916 crore, during 2015-2016, and of Rs. 2128 crore for the year 2016-2017 has been borne by PSPCL.