Chandigarh, Oct 28: The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has directed the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to submit an action plan to fix meters on all 13.5 lakh tubewells used for agriculture in five years. The order, issued on October 23, asks the PSERC to prepare a road map within a month and start metering in 2018 and finish it by 2023.
The regulator states that the metering will be covered under the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, and that funds to implement the scheme were available under the Centre’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gramin Jyoti Scheme.
“PSPCL should have used the funds,” the order, in which the power tariff for all sections of consumers was also increased by 9.3% on average, said.
It went on to add, “Failure to achieve yearly target would invite punitive action,” the PSERC order, referring to provisions in the Electricity Act.
News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com
