Power regulator reverses govt move on fixed charge waiver

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 19

The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has reversed the government decision of waiving fixed charges for the industry for the two- month period of the Covid-19 lockdown. Instead, the regulator has mandated that fixed charges be recovered in six monthly instalments beginning from September.

Read also: Industry condemns ‘U-turn’ on fixed charges by PSPCL

Taking suo motu cognisance of the government directions, the PSERC ruled in its orders: “Keeping in view the difficulties faced by LS/MS/ non-residential supply (NRS) consumers due to the lockdown, the commission, in exercise of its power conferred under relevant regulations, decides to defer the payment of pending amount of the fixed charges of two months starting from March 23 for MS, LS (industrial) and NRS (commercial) consumers.”

The commission allowed the recovery of these deferred fixed charges in six equal monthly instalments without any late payment surcharge while laying down that the first instalment will be raised in the bill of September and the last in the bill of February 2021. It further stipulated that no connection shall be disconnected for non- payment of these arrears till March 31, 2021, and, thereafter, action will be taken as per the provisions of the Supply Code Regulations.

Upset over the reversal of government orders, the industry has termed it a betrayal.

Badish K Jindal, national president, All Industries and Trade Forum, condemned the non-fulfillment of the promise of waiver of charges by the government. He said the PSERC decision for recovery of charges was a big jolt to the industry.

Jindal said, “The government must intervene and offer to bear the financial burden of fixed charges for the industry for two months which are less than Rs 300 crore as the government has saved over Rs 350 crore of subsidy payable to industrial consumers due to complete closure of industrial units for over two months.”

Meanwhile, industrialists of Mandi Gobindgarh also resented the PSERC move. They held an emergency meeting and urged the CM to keep his promise else they would be forced to shut the industry and stage a protest.