The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government gave a big gift to the people of Punjab on Sunday, inaugurating a thermal power plant in Goindwal, Punjab. Now it will be known as ‘Sri Guru Amar Das Thermal Power Plant’. This private thermal plant, worth about ₹5,500 crores, was purchased by the Punjab government for only ₹1,100 crores, saving the people nearly ₹4,400 crores, and now people will get cheap electricity.
Addressing a public meeting in Tarn Taran during this time AAP’s National Convenor Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that today it has been proven what an honest government is and what a dishonest government is. Other governments sell government institutions cheaply to their friends and relatives, while the AAP government is buying them. This has happened for the first time in 75 years. The AAP National Convenor said that in just 10 years, we have governments in Delhi and Punjab and MLAs in Gujarat and Goa. Therefore, the BJP is afraid that if the AAP continues to grow in this way, one day it will form the government at the centre. My appeal is that this time all 13 seats of the Punjab Lok Sabha should be won by the AAP so that no one dares to stop Punjab’s money.
On the second day of the Punjab tour, after inaugurating the thermal power plant on Sunday, AAP National Convenor and Delhi’s CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal addressed a public meeting organized in Tarn Taran. During this, the AAP National Convenor stated, “Today, two major works are commencing here. First, the Punjab government is dedicating the private sector power plant to the people of Punjab by acquiring it. And second, dedicating it to Shri Guru Amardas Maharaj ji. This power plant has been renamed as Shri Guru Amardas Thermal Plant. Earlier, this plant was known as ‘GVK Thermal Power Plant’. With the blessings of Shri Guru Amardas ji, this plant and Punjab will progress.”
“Today it’s been made clear, what’s an honest government and what are dishonest governments. The dishonest government sells all the government departments such as LIC, airports, ports, mines, and electricity companies to their friends and families at meagre prices, after assuming power. If the plant’s worth is ₹10,000 crores, then the dishonest government sells it at ₹2,000 crores. This has been going on even after 75 years, but today it’s been reversed in Punjab,” the AAP National Convenor added.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal further said that for the first time in 75 years, a private thermal power plant has been purchased by the government at a reasonably low price. “If this power plant were to be installed today, it would cost around ₹5,500 crores, and we have purchased it for ₹1,100 crores. If our intentions were not good, then we would have purchased it for ₹10,000 crores benefitting our party and family by taking money from the other party. Our intentions are right, we bought the power plant worth ₹5,500 crores at ₹1,100 crores only, saving ₹4,400 crores of Punjab’s people. Earlier, this power plant was running at a loss. Now, we have deliberated with officers and engineers and now this plant will run in surplus. This power plant was producing expensive electricity, and now this will provide electricity at cheaper rates. We have arranged free electricity for everyone, and now through this plant business vendors will get electricity at cheaper rates. It’s clear which is an honest government, and which is a dishonest one,” he said.
The AAP National Convenor conveyed, “Yesterday, we did significant work. In our country, there are ‘Ration Mafias’. The government allocates a 100 kg ration, the poor receives only 10 kg of it. All the ration is being stolen. You go to the ration shops and find that the shop is closed, and you are forced to make rounds of the shops. If it is opened, then the ration keeper only gives you 10 kgs depriving you of your right of 25 kgs, while cursing you to leave. They adulterate the ration. All these things will end now. You don’t have to go to ration shops anymore. Every month you’ll receive a packed ration at your homes, if you want Atta (wheat flour) or wheat, take what you want. Excellent quality packaged atta that I and Sardar Bhagwant Mann eat. Now, the poorest of Punjab will eat the same quality atta that the chief minister eats. This is a remarkable feat.”
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said the ration mafia is very big in the country and yesterday the people of Punjab assailed the ration mafia and gradually in the coming 5-10 years the ration mafia will be completely wiped out of the country.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal expressed that only two years ago, they formed the AAP government in Punjab, and since then they have been providing free electricity to the people of Punjab. “The BJP, Congress, Akali Dal used to say that the government is running in deficit, and it’s been two years not once we said such a thing. We’re doing all your work. We are providing free 24×7 electricity, earlier there used to be long power cuts of 7 to 8 hours. Our intentions are clean, we don’t ‘eat money’ (misappropriate money). The previous governments used to fill their houses with money,” he said.
The AAP National Convenor expressed, “With all dedication and pure intentions, we’re committed 24 hours in your service. We are providing free electricity, schools have been constructed, medicines in the hospitals of Punjab are being provided for free, we’re installing ‘Aam Aadmi Clinics (Mohalla Clinics)’ in Punjab. So many works are underway in Punjab. “But in collusion, the Central Government and Governor are obstructing your works. They’re not letting us function, as they’re trying to stop every work initiated by us. The Central government and governor have stopped more than ₹8,000 crores of the Punjab government funds. Imagine the Punjab government would have received this money, how many roads, hospitals, and many works would have been done. Why are they stopping this, at the same time,” said Shri Kejriwal.
“These people are hindering our work in Punjab because they are afraid that if the Aam Aadmi Party achieves so much, no one will be able to shake them. Just like in Punjab, they are also hindering our work within Delhi. Whatever work I try to do, these people do not let it happen. There are 7 Lok Sabha seats in Delhi. The people of Delhi have decided that this time they will give all 7 Lok Sabha seats to the Aam Aadmi Party. If the people of Punjab give all 13 Lok Sabha seats to the Aam Aadmi Party, then the Aam Aadmi Party will be strengthened. After that, the central government and the Governor will not have the courage to stop Punjab’s rightful share of money. If the people of Punjab give all 13 Lok Sabha seats, then the central government and the Governor will not have the courage to stop your work. At the same time, the remaining work within Punjab will be completed five times faster,” he said.
Shri Arvind Kejriwal said that if BJP fears anyone in the country today, it’s the AAP. The Aam Aadmi Party has only been formed for 10 years. The Aam Aadmi Party is like a small child of 10 years. A small child has challenged the biggest party in the country, it doesn’t sleep, and we haunt their dreams at night. In the 10 years of this small party, governments have been formed in Delhi and Punjab. We have MLAs in Goa and Gujarat. Wherever we contest elections, we get plenty of votes. That’s why BJP fears that if the Aam Aadmi Party continues to progress like this, it will one day form the government at the centre. Our honesty and clean intentions are our strengths. We work for the people. We build schools and hospitals, we build roads, we fix electricity, and we arrange pilgrimage trips for the elderly. BJP cannot do this work. BJP has been running the government in Gujarat for 30 years and in Madhya Pradesh for 15 years, but in all these years, they have not fixed a single school.
The AAP National Convenor shared, “The work we are doing, they cannot do. If they have the courage, they should show us by doing the same work. They cannot do work like us, that’s why they want to crush and eliminate the Aam Aadmi Party in any way they can. That’s why these people keep leveling new accusations every day. Nowadays, they send notices from CBI, ED, Income Tax, or the police against me every day. They have created an atmosphere as if I am the biggest terrorist in this country. They have arrested Shri Manish Sisodia. They say Shri Manish Sisodia is a thief. The country’s people should decide what Manish Sisodia’s fault is. Shri Manish Sisodia has built excellent government schools for poor children. On the other hand, wherever there is a BJP government, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, they are closing down government schools one by one.”
“They want to keep poor children uneducated. The person who builds schools for poor children is a thief, or the one who closes schools for poor children is a thief. We have made electricity free in Delhi and Punjab, but in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh where there is a BJP government, electricity is very expensive,” he added.
“The country’s people should decide whether the one who provides free electricity is a thief or the one who makes electricity expensive is a thief. Today, the entire BJP is engaged in finishing the Aam Aadmi Party. They have arrested Shri Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain. But the grace of the Almighty is with us. The entire public knows, and the public is with us, so what do we have to fear? We are working for the poor with complete honesty. The people have given us a lot. 10 years ago, we were nothing, today the people have given us such a big responsibility, and we cannot repay this favor even in the next seven lives. We only need the love and blessings of the people,” Shri Arvind Kejriwal concluded.
Currently, out of the 5 thermal plants in Punjab, 2 were government-owned, but after purchasing this, now 3 plants have come under government control: Sardar Bhagwant Mann
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Sardar Bhagwant Mann congratulated everyone on the opening of the new power plant, saying that the Punjab government has made history by acquiring the loss-making private thermal power plant and dedicating it to the people. After the start of the ‘Shri Guru Ramdas Thermal Power Plant’, electricity will be cheaper. Currently, electricity in people’s homes is free, and electricity is also free for farming. In the future, the electricity bill for companies will also be cheaper. This will attract more companies to Punjab, and our youth will get more employment opportunities. Shri Guru Ramdas Ji spent his entire life in Goind Sahib. Today, this plant is named after him. There are 5 thermal power plants in Punjab. Earlier, 2 of these were government-owned, but now 3 power plants are with the government.
“Our coal mines have been closed since 2015. After our government came in March 2022, we restarted them in October. Now, we receive first-class quality coal from those mines. Now, this coal will be used to generate electricity in this thermal power plant. Previous governments had kept these mines closed and used them to buy coal from outside. We bought this 540-megawatt power plant for ₹1,080 crores. It has now started operating. After 4 years, it will cost between ₹5,000 to ₹5,500 crores. Earlier, we used to buy coal from Odisha. The lifespan of this power plant will increase from 25 to 40 years. Now, every penny is accounted for by the officers. We have made a deal with a company of the central government for electricity. We will get 1100 megawatts of electricity from Rajasthan in this. We made a deal at a cheap rate and saved ₹3.5 crores of Punjab’s people every year. Punjab’s treasury is being used in the right direction now. Now, there is an honest government in Punjab, and there is money in the government’s treasury too. We have opened its mouth towards the public,” the Punjab CM stated.
Request to the central government to talk to the farmers, and accept their legitimate demands: Sardar Bhagwant Mann
CM Sardar Bhagwant Mann said that the central government has stopped our rural development fund ₹5.5 crores, which is used for the development of roads for ‘Mandis’ (farmer’s market). If we receive this money, many excellent roads will be built in every village. These people consider Shri Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann a threat. They have stopped our National Health Mission funds, which are essential for hospitals. This is the people’s money, but they are not giving it to the people. If we win all 13 seats in Punjab in the Lok Sabha elections once, they won’t be able to stop our money. The real power is in the hands of the people. After the Aam Aadmi Party’s victory of 13-0, no one will stop our money.
“They did not include our tableau in the Republic Day parade. Who are these people to reject the tableau of the brave hearts who gave us independence? I urge the central government to talk to the farmers and accept their legitimate demands. These people are working to create a border between Punjab and India. Don’t hate Punjab so much; our soldiers sacrifice their lives for the country on the border. Our governments of Delhi and Punjab face hatred. If they could, they would erase Punjab’s name from the national anthem by passing a bill. From the village panchayat to the Prime Minister of the country, even an ordinary person is decided by the people. Today, an ordinary person can also become a minister or a chief minister. When people are with us, what greater treasure can there be than this? We need your support. This is how Punjab will become ‘Rangla Punjab’ (vibrant and joyful Punjab),” he concluded.
