PSEB Engineers’ Association writes to CM Mann over PSPCL dues

The PSEB Engineers’ Association has written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressing concern that non-clearance of dues is affecting the financial health of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).

The letter mentions that dues include unpaid subsidy bills of Rs 4,500 crore, the past subsidy bills of Rs 5,500 crore and Rs 3,600 crore unpaid electricity bills of various government departments. The total dues have reached Rs 13,600 crore.

“The Punjab Government has paid Rs 12,758 crore subsidy to the PSPCL till December 15, which includes Rs 6,524 crore for free agriculture power, Rs 4,708 crore for domestic consumers and Rs 1,526 crore for industrial consumers.

The four big defaulters are the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Local Government, Rural Development and Panchayat and the Health Department. These four departments cumulatively owe about 90 per cent of the total defaulting amount,” reads the letter by the general secretary of the association, Ajay Pal Singh Atwal.

Atwal said the unpaid dues had created a severe cash crunch in the power corporation, significantly affecting its ability to function effectively. This delay in payment has not only exacerbated operational challenges but also compounded financial losses, which will ultimately result in higher power costs for consumers across the state.

The association has demanded that necessary instructions be issued to the Finance Department to immediately release the pending subsidy dues for the current financial year.