Patiala, May 15
The Power Sector Joint Action Committee (PSJAC) has urged the new power minister to drop the proposed sale of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) properties under the OUVGL scheme. These assets, originally meant for upgrading power sector infrastructure, should be retained and utilized for strengthening the sector, the committee said.
Ajaypal Singh Atwal, Secretary PSJAC, in a letter stated that the move to sell Power Corporation land has triggered resentment among thousands of employees, engineers, pensioners, and other stakeholders. He termed the sale a short-sighted measure that would hinder long-term development, stressing that the properties could instead be used to construct new substations, modern offices, store outlets, transformer yards, and metering labs, as well as to address congestion issues.
Atwal further suggested that the land could support ground-mounted solar power plants and battery energy storage systems (BESS), aligning with national green energy targets. He also proposed that these properties be treated as land banks, serving as tangible assets for financial stability and collateral to secure bank loans, thereby offering liquidity without outright sale.
“Selling public assets often leads to long-term loss of infrastructure control and potential legal challenges, while retaining them allows strategic redevelopment,” the letter noted.
The JAC has recommended constituting a high-level committee of technical and finance experts from within PSPCL to deliberate detailed proposals in a time-bound manner on how these assets can be revived and optimally utilized.
