PSPCL fails to recover Rs 337 lakh

The main defaulter was the Public Health department with arrears of Rs 152.69 lakh, constituting almost 45 % of the total amount in the circle.
DP Correspondent

Kapurthala

Lax attitude of Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) has been leading to rise in its deficit day by day. The lack of a recovery policy is encouraging the defaulters to use power without paying a penny for many years.

At present, PSPCL’s defaulting amount is totalling more than crores across the state with main offenders being government departments. The Kapurthala Circle alone has Rs 337.76 lakh pending amount in the first half of the current financial year. Statistics revealed that as many as 18 departments had failed to pay their electricity bills for many years.

Sources said that the main defaulter was the Public Health (Water Works) department with arrears of Rs 152.69 lakh, constituting almost 45 per cent of the total amount in the circle. Others offenders were the Municipal Committee (Local Bodies) — Rs 67.98 lakh, hospital/government dispensaries -- Rs. 56.72 lakh , Punjab Police Rs 32.21 lakh, Modern Jail Rs 9.42 lakh, Tehsil Complex-Revenue Department — Rs 4.22 lakh, government schools/ITIs/Education Dept — Rs 2.39 lakh, DC Office — Rs 1.78 lakh, SDM Office — Rs 1.77 lakh and Punjab State Tubewell Corporation — Rs 1.51 lakh. A sum of Rs 7.7 lakh was pending from other assorted office.

When contacted, Kapurthala PSPCL Deputy

Chief Engineer Darshan Singh said that many notices had been served on these departments for recovery of this defaulting amount and they would take action soon as per norms.