‘Powercom must stop atrocious recovery of power bills’

Patiala, June 20

“It is atrocious that Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd had started charging the enhanced tariff from domestic consumers from April 1, 2017, while the public notice issued by the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission on revised tariff unambiguously states that the new tariff schedule revised for the 2018-19 shall be applicable from April 2018 to March 31, 2019.

“I wonder how and with what authority Powercom has arbitrarily issued the electricity bills to the domestic consumers by adding the installments of the enhanced tariff with effect from April 2017 in violation of the order of the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission,” alleged Bir Devinder Singh.

“It’s appalling that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited has indiscriminately started recovering the enhanced tariff with retrospective effect, having no such authority to do so. This kind of highly impetuous action of Powercom is a blatant violation of the Electricity Act,” states Bir Devinder in a release issued here. 

He said the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission, by taking suo moto cognizance of the issue of great public importance, should also intervene immediately in the matter. “Recovery of the electricity bills in violation of the order of the regulatory commission must also be suspended forthwith,” he said. — TNS