CICU condemns proposal of PSPCL for imposing power cuts and seeking hike in power tariff

Ludhiana, May 10, 2014: Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU), Ludhiana president Avtar Singh has said the proposal of PSPCL for imposing power cuts and seeking hike in power tariff submitted to PSERC is uncalled for which will have negative impact on the industry as the cost of production will go up subsequently and lead the industry uncompetitive.
“This unrealistic proposal is contrary to the tall claims of power surplus Punjab repeatedly being announced by PSPCL”, he said in a statement issued here on Saturday evening.
Singh added besides inconvenience to power consumers, the hike in power tariff will be burdening industrial and domestic sectors at the cost of providing free electricity to agriculturalists. “Punjab is now a power surplus state therefore should provide power at reasonable rate with other states in the country”, he said.
The CICU president said hiking power tariff every year to provide free electricity to farmers cannot be justified as MSMEs are also reeling under adverse economic scenario. All policies framed by PSPCL are anti industry and the industrialists of Punjab are being supplied power at exorbitant rate as compared with all other Northern States. “One cannot hope that any new industry will come up in the state due to repeated hike in power tariff and imposition of power cuts”, he remarked.
Upkar Singh Ahuja (General Secretary) said that losses of PSPCL are mainly attributable to deficiencies in financial management, planning, implementation of projects, running their operations and monitoring and losses can be minimised or eliminated with better management. He has requested and urged upon Chairman Punjab State Energy Regulatory Commission not to grant permission to PSPCL for hike in power tariff which is bound to fuel inflation and prices northward, so as to save the Punjab industry from disaster and further exodus to adjoining states having pro industrial policies.   
Both CICU leader said, “CICU requests and urges upon Chief Minister, Punjab Parkash Singh Badal to advise Chairman PSERC not to grant approval for the proposal of PSPCL for seeking hike in power tariff so as to encourage investments from other states in Punjab and to boost existing industry”.