Pending dues: PSPCL officials knock at doors of government establishments

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, May 17

Government offices, which once used to be accused of stealing power through ‘kundi connections’, figure at the top in the list of non-commercial ‘bad debts’ of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited.

Knocking at the doors of these ‘special consumers’ demanding immediate payment has also become a priority for senior functionaries of the PSPCL following a campaign launched to collect arrears.

Police stations, Registrar Office and government health care centres are among chronicle defaulters.

Senior Executive Engineer Amandeep Singh Khangura and SDO City Gagandeep Bindal acknowledged that they had personally visited various government offices to impress upon senior functionaries to pay bills that had remained unpaid for months together.

“Though our officials have been sending reminders for bill payments regularly, we have now met officers concerned to get the needful done to avoid disconnection,” said Khangura, maintaining that in-charges of various establishments had assured of arranging payments as soon as possible.

While the PSPCL authorities were compiling final reports for evaluation of total dues towards all government establishments, four highest defaulters owed arrears worth Rs 41.50 lakh at present. The top defaulters are Government Hospital, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 13,78,110); Tehsil Office, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 12,95,030); City police station, Ahmedgarh) (Rs 9,23,070); and Sadar police station, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 5,53,790).

Apprehending disconnection of power to a large number of public utility government departments if the payments are not paid, residents of the area have urged the higher authorities, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, to intervene in the matter and get the accounts regularised.

Residents fear interruption of routine work at the Tehsil Office, Civil Hospital and police stations in case power connections to these establishments are disconnected.

Major defaulters

The top defaulters are Government Hospital, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 13,78,110); Tehsil Office, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 12,95,030); City police station, Ahmedgarh) (Rs 9,23,070); and Sadar police station, Ahmedgarh, (Rs 5,53,790).

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