Sameer Singh
Bathinda, December 24
The Water Supply and Sanitation Department has been sitting on the electricity bills running into crores of rupees which it has not cleared for long. Officials of the PSPCL maintained that several reminders were served on the “defaulter”, but outstanding bill has not been cleared.
The data procured from the PSPCL revealed that the department had an outstanding electricity bill to the tune of Rs 18.4 crore. These pending bills were for water supply to residential areas in villages.
Sources in the PSPCL said notices had been sent in regular intervals to the department but they had barely elicited any positive response.
The sources added that the department had not made even a single payment this year and they were barely seemed concerned or serious about clearing the pending bills which had been mounting with every passing month.
PSPCL Chief Engineer Punnerdeep Singh Brar said, “Unlike many other defaulters, the department comes under essential services, so we cannot possibly go ahead with the disconnection of electricity meters, but after directions from the state government, we have started installing pre-paid electricity meters so that payment for the usage can be received in advance. ”
A senior functionary in the PSPCL said the department or panchayats in villages could not solely be held accountable for non-clearance of outstanding electricity bills. The lackadaisical approach of the powercom and political patronage were to be equally blamed. It was for the senior officials in the department to get these electricity bills cleared provided they were willing to do so. If payments were not made in time, the powercom could have disconnected the electricity meters.
Amrik Singh, Superintending Engineer, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Bathinda, said, “I have joined some time ago and do not have the exact status of pending electricity amount, but if it is there, then efforts will be made to reach out to the government to get these bills cleared on a priority basis.”
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