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.
On the 130th day, the cumulative Covid vaccination coverage stood at 20,06,62,456 doses, including 15,71,49,593 first doses and 4,35,12,863 second doses, as per data available at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. India is the second country after the US, which took 124 days, to achieve this level.
At several places including outside the Delhi borders, the farmers burnt effigies of the Central government, hoisted black flags on their homes, farms or vehicles to condemn the farm laws and demanding their rollback as over 470 farmers' lives have been lost in the past six months.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated. The impact of the cyclone so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
