Uninterrupted power after over three years: Sukhbir

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) working president Sukhbir Singh Badal in Chandigarh on Wednesday said the SAD-BJP government would fulfil its commitment of providing 24 hour uninterrupted power supply to every section of the society across the state at least after three-and-a half years after commissioning various power projects that would generate additional 6,000 MW power.

Addressing a press conference, Badal said that the party was working in close liaison with the state government to transform the power sector in the state and that the party was also closely monitoring the functioning of the SAD-BJP government.

Stating that against the total power generation capacity of 6088 MW achieved by the state in the past 60 years, the state government would add 6,000 MW additional power generating capacity in the next three and a half years.

The 500 MW Lehra Mohabbat project would become functional within this year, while 600 MW Goindwal power plant would be commissioned in next three years. He said construction work of 1200 MW each Talwandi Sabo and Nabha power projects would begin by the end of this year and would be completed in next three years. The pre-bid conference for Talwandi Sabo and Nabha projects would be held in Delhi on May 19, he added.

The SAD working president said that 500 MW project based on agricultural residual would be fully functional in two years. Badal said that 2000 MW power would be generated through the projects to be set up in collaboration with the private companies on what is called Port and Pit head basis.

“This is the target for next three years and the process has begun on war footing. We are committed to ensure that every house, every tube-well and every business and industrial unit in the state gets a 24 hour uninterrupted supply of electricity in the next three and half years,” Badal said, adding that the state government was in the process of going into joint ventures with the private sector to achieve this target.

PILOT TRAINING SCHOOLS

The SAD working president said that plans were afoot to put enterprising people of the state in the forefront in global competition by tapping their vast human resource reservoirs. In this direction, he said, five new Pilot and Cabin Crew training schools would be set up. These training schools would be set up at Amritsar, Bhatinda, Patiala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. At least 1000 students would pass out from these centers every year and there were plans in the pipeline to increase this number to 1500 students later, he added. “At present there is a shortage of 5000 trained pilots in the domestic sector alone and this demand is likely to go up to 10,000 pilots in the next three years. Punjab has to be ready to put its youth right in front in this sector,” said Badal.

MEDICAL TOURISM

Sukhbir Badal said that yet another key area of development on which the party would ask the state government to focus on would be the health care. He said the government had agreed in principle to implement the SAD's manifesto commitment of declaring health care as an industry. “Besides, steps would be taken to turn Punjab into a global hub for health tourism. Our government is also looking closely at the proposal to introduce health insurance scheme for the poor in the state” he said.

He said that the state government was already in touch with leading players in the health sector like Hindujas, Tatas, Ranbaxi, Escorts, Fortis and Apollo and that they were keen to collaborate with the state government for modernising health care services in Punjab. “I am personally in touch with some of the leading experts, organisations and institutions across the world to help turn Punjab into a global hub of health care services and health tourism. This will turn Punjab into a global hub of health tourism," he said unveiling his plans for the futuristic development of the state.