PSPCL services poor, say residents

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 21

People are upset over the “poor” services being provided by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). They say employees, who receive bill payments, go for lunch breaks whenever they like and hardly anyone is available at the automated machine to guide them to make payment. The machines remains out of order most of the time due to technical issues.

The automated machines are being operated by employees of a private firm. According to people, employees don’t follow the break timing as they go as per their convenience. The situation is same even at the bill counter of Gopal Nagar Subdivision.

There is no display board to inform people about the lunch break timings. Balwant Kumar, a city resident who had come to pay bill, said, ““It depends upon the clerk. He closes the window anytime, leaving hundreds of people standing in queue. No one is aware about the duration of lunch break. The bill payment machines remain non-functional due to server problem.”

Even, no contact number has been displayed where people can make a phone call to inform the authorities concerned about their grievances.

The electricity bills of the PSPCL state that payment can be made from 9 am to 3 pm on working days.

When contacted, a subdivisional officer said, “The lunch break time is 1 pm to 2:30 pm, but employees open the window at 2 pm.” He, however, showed his ignorance about the non-functional payment machine.

Meanwhile, NK Gandhi, Chief Engineer, Border Range, said, “The timing for lunch break is 1 pm to 1:30 pm. We will display the same at the bill collection windows. Residents have several other options to pay the bill. The server gets down due to technical issue. We are encouraging residents to pay the bill online.”