Dera Bassi mill owner gets Rs1.36-cr power bill

Tribune News Service

Dera Bassi, June 18

A Bhankharpur flour mill owner was shell-shocked to see his power bill of Rs1.36 crore for the billing cycle of April-June (60 days) on June 16. “Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has charged excessively high amount for 2,088 units, which in normal circumstances would have been in the range of Rs8,000 to Rs10,000,” said Satpal Singh Kalra, a Bhankharpur resident.

“The PSPCL has given my flour mill a small power connection with load upto 20 kW. It is not possible to consume electricity amounting to Rs1,36,07,800 through this connection. Only they can tell what has gone wrong,” he added. The flour mill owner is worried how the bill would be rectified and how many rounds he will have take of the PSPCL office for none of his fault. In Zirakpur, some residents are worried as the PSPCL has not sent them bills for close to three months now. Residents said it would be difficult for them to pay bill of three months together.

It was also uncertain whether late fee would be charged from consumers getting monthly bills. “Also, the rate per unit changes according to the consumption,” said Girish Sharma, a Baltana resident.

PSPCL officials said this time, the bill delivery had been delayed due to a change in software. The delay would not have any effect on the rate slab.

“The PSPCL has failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply here. Frequent power outages, unscheduled power cuts and voltage fluctuations have become a norm this summer,” said Laxmi, a resident of Victoria City, a housing society.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.