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₹40 cr power bill pending: Abohar waterworks expansion project hits roadblock
After spending ₹13 crore on a waterworks project, the Centre-funded development project initiated by Abohar municipal corporation (MC) has hit a roadblock as the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has refused to grant power connection until its dues were cleared
After spending ₹13 crore on a waterworks project, the Centre-funded development project initiated by Abohar municipal corporation (MC) has hit a roadblock as the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has refused to grant power connection until its dues were cleared.
According to the information, the local body of Fazilka district has an outstanding bill of about ₹40 crore towards the state power agency PSPCL.
The construction work is being done by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme of the Union government.
Officials said 98% of construction is complete, and the local body should have tackled the legacy bill before going ahead with an additional project.
The city has an estimated population of 2 lakh, and the operational waterworks has a capacity of 5 lakh million gallon per day (MLD). However, it was insufficient as the local body was able to supply safe drinking water only on alternate days.
The authorities planned another project to strengthen supply by additional waterworks project of 3.5 MLD to cater to the city’s demand up to 2045. An official source said the existing project’s power connection load is 465 kw, whereas the MC wanted a sanction of 988 kw for the additional project.
An official in the powercom said the MC has not cleared bills for nearly a decade, and the local body has been informed the power connection would be released after pending bills are cleared.
“Several state organs owe crores of rupees and the state government had recently paid a part of the payment. Out of that, ₹36 lakh pending towards Abohar MC was also paid, but the local body still has a lot of pending money which needs to be paid,” said a PSPCL official requesting anonymity.
Abohar’s first mayor Vimal Tathai said on Wednesday that presently the city has 22,700 domestic piped water subscribers and the new project was aimed at ensuring water supply daily.
“The local body has been unable to pay bills for the last almost a decade. We do not have enough resources to clear bills and the state authorities should intervene to waive off the bill pendency as Abohar desperately needs a strengthened waterworks project,” Tathai said.
