NCC offices cause revenue loss to PSPCL

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, September 11

Even though the issue was settled way back in 2016 in the course of disposal of a complaint that said offices of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) working under the Education Department were liable to pay for usage of electricity at NRS (non-residential supply) tariff but still at many places in the city as also elsewhere in the state, the NCC offices, located mostly in residential buildings, were making payment of electricity bills at the domestic rates, thereby causing loss of revenue to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

Paying for electricity at domestic tariff

A city-based advocate and social activist, Nalin Kaushik, has filed a complaint with the PSPCL Chief Engineer/Central Zone drawing his attention to the fact that in contravention of the directions of commercial wing of the power utility, several NCC offices located in residential buildings in Sarabha Nagar, Krishna Nagar and other localities were having domestic power connections and paying for electricity at the domestic tariff, which was lower than the NRS (commercial) rates.

He said the NCC offices were working under the Education Department of the Punjab Government for imparting basic army training to school and college students and all their expenses were borne by the state government through the Education Department. ‘Therefore, being a government department, the NCC offices were liable to be charged the NRS tariff,” said the complaint.

Citing directions of the PSPCL made in July 2016 in disposal of a complaint, Kaushik said the PSPCL Chief Engineer/Commercial had said – “Regarding kind of electricity (residential/commercial/industrial) that can be utilised for the running of offices of the National Cadet Corps in Punjab, it is informed that as per schedule of tariff for Non-Residential Supply under the heading ‘availability’ of this tariff of schedule supply to non-residential premises such as business houses, cinemas, clubs, offices, hotels/motels, departmental stores, shops, guest houses, restaurants for lights, fans, appliances such as pumping sets, air-conditioning units/plants, lifts, welding sets, small lathes, electric drills, heaters, battery chargers, embroidery machines, printing presses, ice candy machines, dry cleaning machines, power presses, small motors etc, private hospitals (other than charitable), private unaided educational institutes i.e. schools, colleges and universities, hostels and residential quarters attached thereto where such institutions/installations are not covered under schedule DS/BS, telecommunications, cellular mobile phone towers and all private sports institutions/facilities. including gymnasiums, are covered under this category.”

It was further stated that as all offices are covered under the NRS category, the offices of the National Cadet Corps in Punjab shall also be covered under commercial category. If such connections are to be released in residential area, then submission of an NOC from the competent authority is required.

The complainant asked the PSPCL authorities to take a list of all NCC offices and canteens in the city from the Group Headquarters and take action against all of them under the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act for unauthorised use of electricity, including imposition of penalty as per rules.

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