Former Haryana finance minister Sampat Singh on Saturday demanded a forensic audit of all power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed by the Haryana power utilities in the last 10 years. In a statement, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader said that utilities should make a public disclosure of the financial losses incurred from the past bad PPAs and deferred surcharges.He said that while the government has failed on fiscal prudence, consumer empathy, and transparency, the HERC has saved the people from a massive tariff shock. (HT File)Reacting to the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) recent rejection of a proposal by power utilities to procure 340 MW of electricity from seven hydroelectric projects for 40 years, citing uncertainty over tariffs, possible scheduling delays and cost overruns impacting consumers with higher power costs, Singh said that no PPA exceeding 15 years should be signed without competitive bidding.The former minister said that most damning revelation highlighted in the HERC’s May 26 order was that the state’s two power distribution companies were already severely burdened with a deferred Fuel and Power Purchase Adjustment Surcharge (FPPAS) amounting to an astronomical ₹6,790 crore as of March 31, 2026.“HERC strongly warned that adding more expensive power would push this financial bucket to a level that would be incredibly difficult to realise from the consumers without giving them a massive tariff shock,’’ the INLD leader said.“Who will ultimately pay this ₹6,790 crore? The answer is simple—every domestic consumer, every farmer, and every small industrialist in Haryana. And yet, the government was fully prepared to add another 340 MW of expensive, uncertain, and delayed power to this burgeoning burden. This is not governance. This is premeditated financial sabotage,” alleged Singh.He said that while the government has failed on fiscal prudence, consumer empathy, and transparency, the HERC has saved the people from a massive tariff shock.