REVERSE TREND IN PUNJAB AS STATE GOVERNMENT ALL SET TO BUY PRIVATE THERMAL PLANT: CM

SLAMS PREVIOUS GOVERNMENTS FOR SELLING THE GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES

Chandigarh: Contrary to the previous state governments that sold government properties to fetch money, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has rolled its sleeves for buying a private thermal plant in the state to augment its coal based power production.

Divulging the details, the Chief Minister said that the state government has placed its bid for purchasing private power plant and very soon this process will be completed. He said that this will help in making the state power surplus by augmenting its power production. Bhagwant Mann said that at present state owned thermal plants at Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar produce 1760 Mega Watt (MW) of power whereas with the purchasing of this private power plant production capacity of another 540 MW will be added to it.

The Chief Minister said that with the resumption of coal supply from Pachwara coal mine the state has surplus coal which can be used to run these thermal plants effectively. He said that for the first time in the history of the state, the Punjab government has put a bid for purchasing a private Thermal Power plant whereas in the past the earlier governments had sold these properties. Bhagwant Mann said that this is unprecedented as for the maiden time the state government has started this reverse trend to buy a private plant.

The Chief Minister said that the state has enough supply and stock of coal through which these plants can be run efficiently. He said that the state government is supplying uninterrupted and regular power to all the sectors even during the peak paddy season. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has already made elaborate arrangements in this regard and there is no shortage of power in the state.