PSPCL penalty of Rs 51 lakh on Ludhiana Municipal Corporation

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 12

Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has imposed a penalty of Rs 51 lakh on the Municipal Corporation (MC) for the “unauthorised use of electricity for street-lights”.

The MC has, meanwhile, challenged the penalty notice and filed an appeal before the appellant authority of the PSPCL.

Sources said the MC had also deposited 50 per cent of the penalty amount to the PSPCL.

PSPCL SDO Sandeep Singh said a penalty of Rs 51 lakh had been imposed on the MC for using electricity in an unauthorised manner. He said power was not being used through electricity meters for street-lights.

An official of the MC’s light branch at Zone A claimed that the action taken by the PSPCL was wrong. He said, “The MC has filed an appeal before the PSPCL appellant authority against the penalty imposed by the PSPCL. After taking legal advice, we deposited 50 per cent penalty amount to the PSPCL and filed the appeal to challenge the penalty notice. If we win the case, the penalty will be waived off and the deposited amount will be refunded.”

Another official of the MC said, “It was a one-sided action as the PSPCL had conducted checking in the absence of the MC staff during the lockdown period. Since the LED street-lights with energy-saving method had been installed, the load of electricity had got reduced to a large extent. Moreover, the civic body was providing the service of the street-lights without collecting any user charges. If we don’t get justice, we will plan to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” he said.