Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state government has signed a power purchase agreement of 1,200 MW with Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). He said that PSPCL had floated tenders for procurement of power from solar projects located in Punjab and elsewhere in the country. He said that SJVN Green Energy Limited proposed Rs 2.53 per unit from 1,000 MW in Bikaner in Rajasthan and Bhuj in Gujarat and Rs 2.75 per unit from 200 MW in Hoshiarpur in Punjab). Mann said for the first time the Swiss Challenge Method (SCM) was implemented to invite counter bidding. Earlier bidding was of 2.59 per unit but was negotiated and brought at 2.53, thereby saving money. Likewise, he said for 200 MW bid was made at Rs 2.79 but was finally agreed to Rs 2.75 per unit, he said. Mann said the government will save Rs 431 crore through this negotiation, adding to avoid transmission cost these projects will be started soon. The Chief Minister said the earlier governments had plundered public money by signing these agreements to benefit the private players. He said from 2007-2017 none of the project was below Rs 7, whereas this pact has been signed at a nominal cost. Mann said this will save a lot of public money and will be immensely beneficial for the state. Punjab will soon become the first state to implement policy for banking the power. This will be a revolutionary step aimed at further making the state power surplus in the country, he said. Mann said this will herald a revolution in providing cheap, regular and uninterrupted power to the masses. The Chief Minister said the agreement rates have been fixed for 25 years without any further rise in cost. He further said no transmission charges and no transmission losses will not be paid by PSPCL. The Chief Minister said that Estimated daily production of green power is 83 lakh units. He further said that it will further help in supplying power to agricultural tubewells during the day as solar energy will be available in the day. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that further Aiming to further promote clean energy and to provide maximum power to agricultural tubewells during the day, PSPCL has floated more new tenders to procure 2500 MW solar power from projects located in Punjab and other parts of the country. The Chief Minister said that the agreements inked with the companies have been made public unlike past when these were veiled in secrecy. He said that today is the age of green power and so we have made this agreement. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is the biggest solar power purchase agreement made in the country. The Chief Minister further said that the state government is heading towards purchasing the Goindwal power plant. He said that efforts are being made to revise the agreement clauses with the other private thermal plants in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these efforts are aimed solely at ensuring that power is provided to people immediately. The Chief Minister categorically said that free power to the farmers will continue in the coming days too. He said that there is no proposal to levy any rate on free power to the food growers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state has surplus power for the farmers adding that there is no dearth of funds for giving subsidy to the farmers. The Chief Minister said that the state government is making strenuous efforts for ensuring optimum utilisation of canal water in the state. He said that it will help in saving the groundwater in the state and ensuring use of canal water. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government will soon merge three departments concerned with water viz. irrigation, water resources and others into one for this motive. The Chief Minister was accompanied by Special Principal Secretaries to CM Ravi Bhagat and Kumar Amit along with others. / DW --000000000000569cf306031e9c8f Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable [tags Big,]  Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the state government has signed a power purchase agreement of 1,200 MW with Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). He said that PSPCL had floated tenders for procurement of power from solar projects located in Punjab and elsewhere in the country.
He said that SJVN Green Energy Limited proposed Rs 2.53 per unit from 1,000 MW in Bikaner in Rajasthan and Bhuj in Gujarat and Rs 2.75 per unit from 200 MW in Hoshiarpur in Punjab).
Mann said for the first time the Swiss Challenge Method (SCM) was implemented to invite counter bidding.
Earlier bidding was of 2.59 per unit but was negotiated and brought at 2.53, thereby saving money. Likewise, he said for 200 MW bid was made at Rs 2.79 but was finally agreed to Rs 2.75 per unit, he said. Mann said the government will save Rs 431 crore through this negotiation, adding to avoid transmission cost these projects will be started soon.
The Chief Minister said the earlier governments had plundered public money by signing these agreements to benefit the private players.
He said from 2007-2017 none of the project was below Rs 7, whereas this pact has been signed at a nominal cost.
Mann said this will save a lot of public money and will be immensely beneficial for the state. Punjab will soon become the first state to implement policy for banking the power. This will be a revolutionary step aimed at further making the state power surplus in the country, he said.
Mann said this will herald a revolution in providing cheap, regular and uninterrupted power to the masses.
The Chief Minister said the agreement rates have been fixed for 25 years without any further rise in cost. He further said no transmission charges and no transmission losses will not be paid by PSPCL.
The Chief Minister said that Estimated daily production of green power is 83 lakh units. He further said that it will further help in supplying power to agricultural tubewells during the day as solar energy will be available in the day. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that further Aiming to further promote clean energy and to provide maximum power to agricultural tubewells during the day, PSPCL has floated more new tenders to procure 2500 MW solar power from projects located in Punjab and other parts of the country.
The Chief Minister said that the agreements inked with the companies have been made public unlike past when these were veiled in secrecy. He said that today is the age of green power and so we have made this agreement. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this is the biggest solar power purchase agreement made in the country.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government is heading towards purchasing the Goindwal power plant. He said that efforts are being made to revise the agreement clauses with the other private thermal plants in the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that these efforts are aimed solely at ensuring that power is provided to people immediately.
The Chief Minister categorically said that free power to the farmers will continue in the coming days too. He said that there is no proposal to levy any rate on free power to the food growers. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state has surplus power for the farmers adding that there is no dearth of funds for giving subsidy to the farmers.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is making strenuous efforts for ensuring optimum utilisation of canal water in the state. He said that it will help in saving the groundwater in the state and ensuring use of canal water. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state government will soon merge three departments concerned  with water viz. irrigation, water resources and others into one for this motive.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Special Principal Secretaries to CM Ravi Bhagat and Kumar Amit along with others. / DW
--000000000000569cf306031e9c8f--