Punjab: AG’s year-old legal opinion in focus as govt finalises White Paper on power

As the controversial Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) between Punjab government and private thermal plants assume centre stage, a legal opinion by Punjab’s Advocate General Atul Nanda, in which he had raised serious doubts about the whole exercise behind the PPAs pointing fingers at violations that led to expensive power, is once again in the focus.

Nanda in his legal opinion to the Punjab government has stated that there has been deviation from bidding guidelines, adding that the very quantum of power required to be procured by the then state government was unnecessarily increased by the state. Nanda has argued that the government did not need to pay fixed charges to these plants when cheaper power was available with the national grid.