Govt depts owe Rs 15.47 cr to PSPCL in Sangrur circle

Sushil Goyal

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 13

On account of shortage of funds, over a dozen government departments have failed to deposit their electricity bills — to the tune of Rs 15.47 crore — till March 31 in the Sangrur circle of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

Out of Rs 15.47 crore, the Public Health Department alone owed a sum of Rs 10.36 crore to the PSPCL till March 31, followed by hospitals and dispensaries (over Rs 1.66 crore), Panchayati Raj Department (over Rs 1.33 crore), Punjab Police (over Rs 1.27 crore), and other departments about Rs 84 lakh.

The Sangrur circle consists of five distribution divisions Sangrur, Sunam, Dirba, Lehragaga and Patran.

In Sangrur division, government departments owe over Rs 5.93 crore to the PSPCL, including over Rs 3.13 crore (Public Health Department), over Rs 1.09 crore (hospitals and dispensaries) and over Rs 1.05 crore (Punjab Police).

Likewise in Sunam division, government departments owe over Rs 2.19 crore to the PSPCL, including Rs 1.95 crore (Public Health Department). In Lehragaga division, government departments are yet to pay a sum of Rs 2.44 crore to the PSPCL, including over Rs 1.88 crore (Public Health Department) and over Rs 33 lakh (hospitals and dispensaries).

In Dirba division, government departments owe over Rs 1.76 crore to the PSPCL, including over Rs 1.56 crore (Public Health Department). In Patran division, the PSPCL has been awaiting a sum of Rs 3.13 crore from government departments, including 1.82 crore (Public Health) and Rs 1.15 crore (Panchayati Raj).

Sources said that various government departments always fail to deposit their electricity bills on time on account of two main reasons — insufficient amount in their contingency funds or non-release of requisite funds on time by the state government for the purpose.

A government employee said that in the case of the Public Health Department, PSPCL authorities avoid disconnecting power connections of water works of the department, despite being the biggest defaulter of power bills, in the villages.