PSPCL yet to clear power bill cess dues of Municipal Councils

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh/Raikot/Jagraon, May 4

The civic bodies falling under Malerkotla and Ludhiana districts have been facing severe financial crisis as they have not been able to realise municipal cess worth crores from Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The cess is being collected by the PSPCL at the rate of two per cent on power bills of all categories of urban consumers.

Having failed to receive any response to their communications in the past, presidents and Executive Officers of the Municipal Councils at Mandi Ahmedgarh, Raikot, Mullanpur and Jagraon have now brought the matter into the notice of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann through their respective AAP legislators or halqa in-charges.

It is now expected that the PSPCL authorities will be asked to pay the amount collected from consumers in the past.

The issue came up for discussion at Budget meetings held at various civic bodies when it was observed that the municipal cess collected on power bills of the urban areas was not realised for the last couple of years.

Perusal of the Budget meeting agenda in connection with the Mandi Ahmedgarh Municipal Council (MC) revealed that the civic body had expected income worth Rs 10 lakh from the PSPCL in lieu of the municipal cess during 2021-22, but not even a single penny from this amount was recovered. The MC further aimed to collect an equal amount from the power utility during the ensuing 2022-23 fiscal.

The Executive Officer, Mandi Ahmedgarh, Chandar Parkash Wadhwa, acknowledged that the PSPCL had not paid municipal cess running into crores to any of the civic bodies of the state during the past couple of years.

“Like all other Executive Officers I have been writing to the authorities concerned of the PSPCL for payment of our dues, but no response has been received in this regard,” said Wadhwa, who has been holding multiple charges simultaneously. He said an amount of Rs 150 lakh was unpaid for the last couple of years. Similar was the case at Raikot, Jagraon and Mullanpur MCs, Wadhwa added.

The president, Mandi Ahmedgarh MC, Vikas Tandon, said the issue had been brought into notice of the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann through AAP legislator Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra.

“Now when our legislator Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, who is also an associate member of the council, has brought the issue into the notice of the government, we expect that the PSPCL will be asked to clear pending dues without further delay,” said Tandon.

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