SAD climb down on power tariff is typical Badal hypocrisy, says Khangura - 08/01/2010

CHANDIGARH, January 8: Qila Raipur MLA Jassi Khangura today lashed out at the Shiromani Akali Dal for its lack of vision and downright hypocrisy which led it to its last minute climb down in order to cling on to power.

Khangura said “when we objected to the tariff hike the Badals just brushed it aside and now when the survival of their government was at stake as the BJP had threatened to withdraw support, they took no time to reverse it”.

The Qila Raipur MLA maintained that it was a typical trait of the Badals to stick to power come what may, even if they have to compromise on their basic principles. “Either they were wrong when they hiked the power tariff six months ago or they are wrong now when they reversed it”, he pointed out, while adding, the Badals should gracefully admit that they have landed the state into an absolute mess with their unjust policies.

Stating that perhaps this was the first time that the BJP fearing annihilation in the forthcoming assembly polls had taken a tough stand and managed a concession from the Chief Minister, Khangura stressed “Neither will the public forgive the BJP for its spineless performance over the past 3 years nor will the BJP ever be able to play the constructive role of a balancing coalition partner.”

Querying why the BJP had been perpetually meek in its dealings with the SAD Khangura questioned “Why has the BJP failed to protects its workers and legislators from being abused and attacked by goons of the SAD and why did the BJP so quietly accede the post of Deputy Chief Minister to Sukhbir Singh Badal?”

Khangura added that the Congress Party was all along against the tariff increase but at the same time it accepts the need for the PSEB to be more efficient and, in particular, for it to clamp down on politically promoted power theft.

He said that even after several exorbitant hikes in the power tariff the scenario remained much the same. “We currently have long duration power cuts when the supply is supposed to be better”, he said, while adding, this only indicates that the worst times are ahead during the summer.

Khangura said that resorting to unjustified tariff hike is no solution to the problems being faced by the PSEB. “We can’t allow the customers to be penalized for the inefficiency, incompetence and corruption of the government”, he said, while criticizing the government for failing to enforce accountability into the system. He asked, “Why is it that despite regular tariff hikes the PSEB is still running into huge losses?”

He observed that the mess in the PSEB is symptomatic of the functioning of a government which in all areas slumbers from bad to worse. “Because”, he reasoned, “those governing the state are in absolute dereliction of their duties and are instead preoccupied with amassing personal wealth by grabbing transport, cable networks, sand mining, liquor businesses and anything and everything that generates money”.

Khangura stressed “By rolling back Badal has accepted that the tariff hike was unjust. He should now apologise to the public for his shockingly poor judgement in the first place and for deliberating for far too long when it was apparent to anyone with a reasonable amount of grey matter between the ears that withdrawing the hike was the only option.”

Finally, Khangura sighed “In his 4th term and after 12 odd years as Chief Minister, Mr Badal lacks both the conviction to take tough decisions and the ability to oversee the execution of better governmental delivery. The sooner this government departs the better.”

Jassi Khangura