Ludhiana: PSPCL recovers ₹251 crore from 1.29 lakh consumers in 3 months

With 31,167 defaulters, east circle emerges as biggest pocket from which ₹114.33 crore has been recovered

The PSPCL’s operational wing has recovered a staggering ₹251.72 crore from 1,29,948 defaulting consumers in the central zone between January and early April, underlining the scale of mounting unpaid electricity dues across Ludhiana and adjoining circles.

The east circle emerged as the biggest defaulter pocket where 31,167 consumers cleared dues worth ₹114.33 crore. (HT File)

The data shows that the recovery drive covered east, west, sub-urban and Khanna circles, with officials intensifying field operations against pending domestic, commercial and mixed-category consumers.

The east circle emerged as the biggest defaulter pocket where 31,167 consumers cleared dues worth ₹114.33 crore, followed by the west circle that saw 23,163 defaulters paying ₹72.81 crore.

The sub-urban circle accounted for 44,167 defaulting accounts, from which ₹39.42 crore was recovered, while the Khanna circle contributed ₹25.16 crore from 31,451 defaulters.

Among individual divisions, Focal Point topped the list with ₹47.66 crore recovered from 10,777 defaulters, followed by Model Town at ₹28.13 crore, Sunder Nagar at ₹28.15 crore and the estate division at ₹27.62 crore.

Officials said the drive involved spot billing teams, disconnection notices, field inspections and direct recovery camps, especially in industrial belts and mixed-load urban localities where outstanding dues had risen sharply.

PSPCL chief engineer (central zone) Jagdev Singh Hans, however, struck a positive note, saying the figures reflect the success of intensified enforcement. “The operational wing has significantly strengthened its recovery mechanism over the last three months. The response from consumers has improved after sustained field action, and we expect the default burden to reduce further as recovery drives continue division-wise,” Hans said.

He added that the focus is now shifting towards habitual defaulters and high-outstanding pockets, with teams being asked to ensure better follow-up and prevent fresh accumulation.

For the utility, the recovery may be a financial relief, but the numbers also highlight the scale of non-payment culture that continues to strain the distribution system, particularly in dense city divisions where arrears have remained persistently high.