Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, October 19
Repeated reminders by the PSPCL to various government departments for the payment of monthly power bills have failed to move the authorities as an amount of Rs 101 crore is pending in Sangrur circle alone.
There are five subdivisions — Sangrur, Sunam, Lehra, Dirba and Patran — in Sangrur circle. With Rs 43.70-crore dues, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department is on the top of the defaulters’ list, followed by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department (Rs 25.27 crore), Local Government Department (Rs 21.93 crore) and the General Administration Department (Rs 55 lakh). Besides, PSPCL officials are trying to recover money from the Departments of Higher Education, Transport, Sports and Youth Service, and Revenue Rehabilitation and Disaster Management among others.
“Not a single government officer wants to delay the payment of his power bill. But the delay happens as we are not getting the required money from the state government. In many departments, the government is not allowing the collection of charges from residents, leading to the accumulation of power bills,” said a senior official.
Another senior official said they had been trying for getting the required money released. “PSPCL officials have disconnected the power supply to many slum dwellers after they failed to pay exorbitant bills without any inquiry. But they have not taken any action against the government departments, which are not paying power bills of crores. Why these double standards?” asked Randeep Deol, Sangrur BJP chief.
Rattan Kumar Mittal, Deputy Chief Engineer, PSPCL, Sangrur, said they had been trying their best for the recovery of the outstanding amount.
DEFAULTERS’ LIST
Rs43.7 cr Water Supply and Sanitation Department
Rs25.27 cr Rural Development and Panchayat Department
Rs21.93 cr Local Govt Dept
Rs55 lakh General Admn Dept
Sangrur govt departments owe Rs 101 cr to power corporation
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