Save Punjabis from long unbearable power cuts, bills: Sukhbir Badal slams Amarinder

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh after the former blamed the previous SAD government for the power crisis in the state, asking him who stopped the present government from scrapping agreements in the last few years.

Taking to Twitter, Badal further said that it seemed Singh was doing anything but saving Punjabis from 'unbearable' power cuts and bills.

"Re your new rant on SAD govt's power agreements, 4.5 yrs is a long time to scrap any agreement. Who stopped/stops you? Do anything but save Punjabis from long unbearable power cuts & bills. But it seems U want to be remembered for "BIJLEE MEHANGI, BIJLEE GULL," Badal tweeted.

He further said that the current government has 'plunged Punjab into darkness' and credited the previous SAD-BJP government for achieving a power surplus in three years.

"Those who plunged Punjab into darkness are blaming power cuts on those who made the state power-surplus. As PS Badal took over in 2007, Punjab was used to 16 hrs daily cuts. He took three yrs to make it power surplus-exactly the time u have taken to push it back into darkness," he said.

Over the last few days, several parts of Punjab experienced several hours of power cuts as demand increased amid the intense heatwave in the region. Demand reported reached a high of 14,500 MW.

On Saturday, the Chief Minister had said the government would soon announce a legal strategy to counter the 'ill-conceived Power purchase agreement (PPA) signed by the Badals during their rule, which had put an 'atrociously unnecessary financial' burden on the state.

"Of the 139 PPAs signed by the SAD-BJP Government, 17 were enough to cater to the state's full power demand. The remaining 122 for 1314 MWs of expensive power were inexplicably signed, putting an unnecessary financial burden on the state," a statement quoted the Chief Minister.

Earlier today, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) said that it was ensuring uninterrupted eight-hour electricity supply to farmers daily for paddy sowing even amidst unprecedented demand hike across the domestic sector.

( With inputs from ANI )

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