Industrialists’ body demands 50% rebate on night tariff, waiver of fixed power charges in Punjab

They also demanded that the state government should provide electricity at Rs 5 per unit as promised

At a time when the industry is reeling under crises, the Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) has demanded that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) should give 50% rebate on night tariff and should waive off fixed power charges for the industry till March 31, 2021.

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A delegation, led by president Gurmeet Singh Kular and general secretary Rajeev Jain, conducted a meeting with PSPCL chief engineer (Ludhiana central), Varinderpal Singh Saini on Saturday.

The delegation also demanded that PSPCL should upgrade its infrastructure in the city and state government should provide electricity at Rs 5 per unit as promised.

Kular said, “In contradiction to the claims of state government, the industry is being charged Rs 10-15 per unit. Also, the infrastructure is not being improved as 50 applications for industrial connections are pending as the grids are working at full capacity.”

The government should provide a 50% rebate on night tariff in the state and the fixed charges should also be waived off at least till March 31, 2021, to provide relief to the industry at this hour of crises, said Kular.

Jain said that the PSPCL is also demanding advance consumption deposit from the industry even when security is already with the PSPCL. The department should not demand a deposit for the next two years as the industry is already going through a tough phase post lockdown, he added.