'Cash-strapped' PSPCL to spend Rs. 5.5 crores on guest house renovation

29 January, 2013

Eyebrows have been raised over the move of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (PSPCL) to spend Rs. 5.5 crore on the renovation of an old guest house at Bhatinda.

PSPCL, which has been facing resource crunch and has defaulted in making payments to Northern regional Load dispatch Centre for overdrawing power during paddy season, has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 5.5 crore on renovation of Lake View Guest house, located near one of the lakes of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda for the use of political high ups.

According to sources, PSPCL Board of Directors in its 23rd meeting, held at Mohali, approved the Chief Engineer /civil memorandum no. 116 of December 19, 2012 for renovation of the guest house to convert it into a state of the art VIP Guest House at a cost of Rs. 5.5 crore as a special agenda item.

It may be mentioned that Bhatinda thermal plant already has a field hostel with more than sufficient rooms for comfortable stay of PSPCL officers and other dignitaries. Presently, the old guest house is being used as office of SE Operations, Bathinda. PSPCL has directed the SE operation to shift his office to another place and vacate the building for renovation.

Sources say that the Chief Engineer Civil has been asked to swing into action to do the job with the instructions to spend Rs. 1.5 crore out of the total amount within 3 months and by March, 2013. The headquarters of one Sr. XEN /civil and one AEE/civil has been shifted to Bhatinda till the completion of work by PSPCL yesterday. Expert engineers and architects have been grouped by PSPCL to complete the job on priority basis.