Punjab governemnt befooling industry: FOPSIA

Ludhiana, August 6, 2019:Federation of Punjab Small Industries Associations (FOPSIA) president Badish Jindal has said in an information supplied by PSPCL under RTI, the PSPCL gave the confirmation of fake chellenges of State government in regard to cheap power.

In a statement here today, he added the data also reveled that small and medium power connections are charged with high rate of electricity as compared to large scale units.

Adding, he said in the data supplied by PSPCL the Small Industrial Consumers (upto 20Kw Load) consumed 100.4 crore units during 2017-18 and 103.04 Crore units during 2018-19 for this the PSPCL Charged 670.02 Crores during 2017-18 and 654.44 crores during 2018-19.
It shows that during 2017-18 the per unit cost was 6.67 paisa whereas during 2018-19 the PSPCL charged 6.35 Rs per unit. “Although in their RTI the PSPCL have informed that the prices are inclusive of taxes but there are clear evidances that PSPCL have charged 20% duties and taxes on this amount”, he added.

Further, he said similarly in the case of Medium Scale Industry (from 20Kw to 100Kw) during 2017-18 the industry consumed 221.7 crore units and paid 1415.17 crores to PSPCL which means the PSPCL charged 6.38Rs per unit from Medium Industry during 2017-18 and during 2018-19 the Medium Industry consumed 227.90 Crore units and paid 1408.02 crores with a rate of 6.17 Rs per unit.

Jindal said the Large scale industry (above 100 kw connection) is little comfirtable with rates as these units consumed 1281.09 crore units during 2017-18 and paid 7846.15 crores with a rate of 6.12 Rs per unit and during 2018-19 the Large units consumed 1428.20 Crore units and paid 8272 crores with a rate of 5.79 per units.

“So this reply has clealry put a quastion mark on the intention of the state government who is claiming to provide power to Industries @ Rs 5 Per unit”, he said.

Jindal said, the other discrimination is that whereas the large are getting the power @ 5.79 per units the medium are paying 6.17 Rs and small are paying 6.35 Rs per unit.

“So it seems that the policies of the government are anti-MSMEs in Punjab”, he said.

In this reply, the PSPCL also stated that during 2017-18 , 5403 small, 1531 medium and 489 large connections are released by PSPCL and during 2018-19 the number of new small connections reduced to 4430, medium 1389 and large 470. It means that after the formation of government in 2017 the growth of industry has reduced in the state, he further said.

“As per information with the FOPSIA, a huge number of units closed down during 2018-19 but the PSPCL shockingly refused to reply this point by stating that the information is not available with them”, he revealed.