SAD promises to make Punjab power surplus by 2010

Jalandhar, Sep 10 (UNI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) general secretary and former Union Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today promised to resolve the prevailing power crisis and make Punjab a power surplus state by 2010, if his party was voted to power in the coming assembly elections.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Badal said his party had prepared a detailed blue print for solving the power crisis of the state and would implement the same if SAD formed the next government.

He said this comprehensive blue print suggests setting up of power plants in joint venture with the states of Gujarat, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttaranchal to achieve additional generation capacity of 2500 MW on sharing basis with respective venture partner state by 2012.

He said SAD president and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had already held preliminary dialogue with Gujarat and Orissa Chief Ministers in this connection.

Holding the Amarinder Singh government responsible for the prevailing power crisis in punjab, the SAD general secretary said the government's apthy and inaction in power sector in the state had led to the situation where the present Chief Minister did not bother to add even a single unit in the generation capacity during his regime.

Contrary to this, previous SAD-BJP Government during its term in office in the state had enhanced the generation capacity by over 1200 MW, Mr Badal said.

This issue would be included in SAD election manifesto for the next assembly elections, he added.

UNI SS DP PA VA BST1704