Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) should roll back its recent order that regularised power intensive unit load on electrolytes processing industries, demanded Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) on Thursday.
A delegation led by FICO chairman K K Seth and president Gurmeet Singh Kular met PSPCL chief engineer (central zone) Bhupinder Khosla in this regard.
Calling the move “unjustified” for small electroplating processing units, Kular said it will put direct burden on the industry.
“We request you to immediately roll back the decision, otherwise industrialists will protest in opposition. The industry in Punjab is already being supplied electricity at rates dearer than the neighbouring states. This move will add to the woes of struggling units,” he said.
It was also alleged that PSPCL has been taking a U-turn on waiver of fixed charges for two months. The power corporation’s latest decision that fixed charges will be levied on the industry, though they can provide these in instalments, will increase the problems of the industry already struggling for revival, said the FICO delegates.
“How can the industry pay the fixed charges when the factories were locked? We had not locked our industries on our own. It was the government’s decision. It is requested to completely waive off the fixed charges for the period of lockdown and beyond. Moreover, the PSPCL had notified that who so ever paid bills on time during the lockdown, would enjoy 1% discount. But that amount too has been processed till date. You are requested to look into the matter and do the needful,” Kular said.
{{/usCountry}}“How can the industry pay the fixed charges when the factories were locked? We had not locked our industries on our own. It was the government’s decision. It is requested to completely waive off the fixed charges for the period of lockdown and beyond. Moreover, the PSPCL had notified that who so ever paid bills on time during the lockdown, would enjoy 1% discount. But that amount too has been processed till date. You are requested to look into the matter and do the needful,” Kular said.
{{/usCountry}}The FICO also demanded that night tariff be introduced at a rate Rs 2.50 per unit to the industry, as Punjab is surplus state in terms of power and due to winter, power demand at night is not high, so the benefit of surplus power should be provided to the industry.