Punjab waives pending electricity bills of 55 lakh defaulters
Darpan News Desk IANS, 29 Sep, 2021 10:58 AM
Chandigarh, Sep 29 (IANS) Amid the turmoil within the ruling Congress party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday announced to waive pending electricity bills of 55 lakh defaulters, covering 80 per cent of the total consumers.
It will put a burden of Rs 1,200 crore on the state exchequer.
Channi told the media after the Cabinet meeting that it decided to waive pending electricity bills of all defaulters having connection up to 2 KW.
"It is a major relief for the common man," the Chief Minister, who reiterated the government won't indulge in corruption nor let anyone do it.
The decision will benefit consumers in rural and urban areas.
But the Chief Minister clarified that the arrears could be of one month or as old as 10 years, all outstanding will be cleared by the government.
"The policy will apply only to the previous electricity bills that are pending. From now onwards, the consumers would be liable for the outstanding," he added.
Channi said committees at tehsil level would be formed to handle old bill waiver cases and verify the beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister announced a mechanism soon to end sand mafia by bringing a new policy on mining.
On the resignation of state Congress chief Navjot Sidhu, Channi said he had talked to him. "I have invited him to talk so that we can resolve the issue."
He said that as sought by the party high command, the government is appointing a dedicated team of public prosecutors and lawyers to handle sensitive cases like sacrilege.
He paid homage to the indomitable courage and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces personnel during the Kargil conflict in 1999 by laying a wreath at the Dagger War Memorial in Baramulla during a solemn ceremony.
In a report submitted to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, the Delhi Government has stated that the minimum environmental flow for dilution of the polluted water in the Yamuna in Delhi will be required to meet the desired water quality levels in the river for bathing.
The farmers have rejected the meagre compensation awarded by the district revenue officers (DROs), who have been designated as competent authority for land acquisitions.
The police recovered a told of 19 vehicles including 12 motorcycles, 6 scooties, and one auto, from their possession. The accused persons of the first gang were identified as Mohit, Sachin and Gaurav, while the second gang members were identified as Wasin and Atul Raghav.
In addition to the existing flood-prone Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, extreme floods (water level above previous highest flood level) were seen in 10 more states, due to excess to large excess rainfall in these states combined with extremely heavy rainfall in short duration, the Parliament was told on Monday.
In his maiden speech after assuming charge here, Sidhu, who shared the stage with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh after a long break, also extended an olive branch to the protesting doctors, nurses, teachers and bus conductors, who have been on roads for their demands.
