Punjab Government, private power consumers owe Rs 3,993 crore to PSPCL

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 9

Not only the government but even private consumers have also not made payments worth crores to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The defaulting amount due to the PSPCL at the end of last financial year was Rs 3,993 crore. This is separate from Rs 5,500-crore subsidy amount due from the government for supplying free power to various sectors.

Information revealed that of the Rs 3,993 crore, various government departments owe Rs 2,140 crore while Rs 1,853 crore is pending from other consumers.

Rs 5,500 cr subsidy pending

• The poll promise of free and subsidised power is proving costly to the PSPCL as the state government continues to default on payment. Already over Rs5,500-crore subsidy is pending from the government
• The Punjab Government is giving free electricity to farm tubewells, 200 units of free power to SC families and some weaker sections of society, besides giving subsidised electricity at Rs5 per unit to industry

The defaulting amount in the west zone is Rs 1,305 crore, including Rs 601 crore from government departments. In the border zone, the figure is Rs 1,198 crore, including Rs 565 crore from the government and Rs 633 crore from other consumers. In the south zone, the amount is Rs 798 crore, including Rs 595 crore from government departments.

Instead of clearing their dues, many consumers have moved courts. “Rather than making payment, many consumers have approached courts to delay the process. There are about 4,700 civil cases pending in various courts to settle the disputed amounts. The cases have been filed by various industrial units regarding bills totalling Rs 147 crore,” said a top PSPCL official.

As per the data, most cases — 3,300 — have been filed in Ludhiana. There are total 13.5 lakh defaulting consumers, owing about Rs 2,080 crore. Of this, nearly 6,000 consumers owe more than Rs 2 lakh each to the PSPCL.

”There are around 9,700 consumers who owe between Rs 1-2 lakh while 1.32 lakh consumers owe between Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Rest owe less than Rs 25,000 each,” said officials.

A senior PSPCL official confirmed that last year, the PSPCL had recovered Rs 3,291 crore comprising Rs 1,074 crore from government departments and Rs 2,217 crore from other consumers.