Punjab minister slams Akalis over free electricity issue

Punjab minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on Saturday hit back at the Akalis on the 'free electricity' issue and asked it to question its ally BJP at the Centre for imposing a condition of cash transfer to farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has been accusing the Congress-led state government of withdrawing free power to farmers on the "pretext" of replacing it with the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The government, however, has maintained that it will continue to provide free electricity to farmers. "Let me reassure our farmers that there is no plan to withdraw free power to agriculture in Punjab. I am cognizant of your economic condition and appreciate the hard work put in by you in every crop to grow food grains for the country. Free power will continue!," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted on Friday. The state, in a release on May 27, had said it would put in place a scheme for the financial year 2021-22 for ensuring cash transfer to farmers through DBT in lieu of free electricity. Talking to the media here, Bajwa said on Saturday that the Centre had imposed a condition of introducing DBT to all farmers in lieu of free electricity for the state to become eligible for additional borrowing of 0.15 per cent of the gross state domestic product (GSDP). According to the condition, the state government should put in place a scheme whereby cash is transferred to farmers through DBT instead of free electricity being provided to them whereas charges of electricity are paid by farmers directly from the amount given to them. "I want to ask Sukhbir (Badal), (Bikram Singh) Majithia and Harsimrat (Kaur Badal) if they had read this condition. You are their (BJP) partner in Delhi," Bajwa said. "Despite knowing all this, they (Akalis) are blaming us whereas the fault is of the Modi government," he alleged. The minister reiterated that the Centre had imposed a condition that if farmers are charged for electricity, the state government could go for additional borrowing. "We have decided that we will not impose any bill on the farmers for electricity," Bajwa said. Notably, the Centre has allowed states to borrow 2 per cent more of their GSDP with strict reform conditions. However, the relaxation in borrowing limits is partly unconditional to the extent of 0.5 per cent and partly conditional to the implementation of reforms such as 'one nation one ration card' system, ease of doing business, as well as reforms in the urban local body/utility and power sectors. PTI CHS VSD SRY

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)