AAP has pushed back Punjab into age of darkness: Sukhbir Singh Badal

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the AAP govt in Punjab of pushing the state back into the age of darkness by bankrupting its power utility and refusing to give incentives

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday accused the AAP government in Punjab of pushing the state back into the "age of darkness by bankrupting" its power utility and refusing to give incentives to the industrial sector.

Addressing a press conference here, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government had not generated a single unit of power during its tenure.

"It is simultaneously not paying subsidy due to PSPCL (Punjab State Power Corporation Limited) which is bankrupting the power utility," he said.

Noting that part of the power needs of the state were being served by two thermal plants in Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo, he said, "These thermal plants supply power to the state at Rs 2.80 per unit. The shortfall in demand is being filled by purchasing power at Rs 8 to 10 per unit."

"The situation would get worse in the summer. This will threaten paddy crop besides dealing a crippling blow to the industrial sector," Badal said.

The SAD leader claimed that industrialists were already leaving the state as they were "fed up" of gangsters and extortion calls.

The "failure" of the AAP government to address the concerns of the industry through the new industrial policy has compounded matters, he said.

"No new incentive has been given in the new industrial policy and as neighbouring states are providing more incentives, Punjab's industry is shifting to Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The manner in which the state had been made power surplus along with creation of world class roads and air network during the SAD's tenure, had given confidence to the Punjab growth story, Badal said.

The SAD president also said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was trying to "mislead" people by indulging in a name changing spree to show the government had done something.

"The truth is that the AAP government has gone in for a massive exercise to repaint and renovate government buildings to establish so called 'aam aadmi clinics'", Badal said.

"Hundred 'sewa kendras' were converted to 'mohalla clinics' and now, 540 rural dispensaries are being converted to 'aam aadmi clinics'. The government is now also in the process of changing the nomenclature of meritorious schools established by Parkash Singh Badal," he claimed.