Power bills not paid, supply to SAD leader’s house cut

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Lambi, February 17

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has discontinued power supply to the residence of SAD’s Muktsar district chief Dyal Singh Kolianwali in the Lambi Assembly constituency due to non-payment of bills to the tune of about Rs23 lakh.

The PSPCL officials have also removed the power meter, issued in the name of Kolianwali’s son Parminder Singh. The bills have not been paid for the past more than two years.

Corporation officials told The Tribune that they had visited Kolianwali’s residence on Wednesday and Thursday to recover the dues of three power connections issued in the names of Dyal Singh, his brother late Karnail Singh and Parminder.

“The family paid dues amounting to Rs27,000 for the power connections of Dyal Singh and Karnail Singh. But Rs23 lakh are yet to be recovered from them,” said Amandeep Singh, SDO, Abul Khurana sub-division, PSPCL.

He added that Rs5 crore were yet to be recovered from the defaulters in the sub-division, including Rs2 crore owed by government departments.

As per the rules, the power supply is discontinued if the payment is not made in 15 days after the last date mentioned on the bill.

Sources said no notice had been served on Kolianwali in the past over two years.

“Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal used to visit Dyal Singh’s residence, so it was not possible to discontinue the power supply. Now, instructions have been issued to act tough against the defaulters,” the sources added.

Pavittar Singh, Executive Engineer, PSPCL, Malout, said, “We are taking strict action against the defaulters.”