Hoshiarpur (Daljit Ajnoha):- The Punjab Government is patting itself on the back over the recently announced One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for electricity consumers, which, according to former Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Tikshan Sood, contradicts the government's claims of providing free electricity. Reacting to the announcement, Sood said that the Aam Aadmi Party had promised to provide 24-hour free electricity to all citizens. However, after forming the government, it started providing only 300 units of free electricity per month, and consumers were made to pay for their entire consumption if they used even one unit more than the 300-unit limit. He added that consumers belonging to Scheduled Caste communities were already receiving 300 units of free electricity.
Sood said the government had repeatedly claimed that 90 per cent of households were receiving free electricity. However, the newly announced One Time Settlement scheme of the Punjab Government has exposed the contradiction in these claims, as the government is now claiming that around 25 lakh families have been given relief worth Rs 516 crore under the new scheme.
He questioned that if 90 per cent of families were getting free electricity, who were these nearly 25 lakh families receiving relief under the OTS scheme? He said this clearly showed that the government's two claims did not match and that there was a significant discrepancy in the figures of consumers receiving free electricity and those covered under the OTS scheme.
Sood further said that consumers receiving free electricity had often been sent hefty bills without meter readings, and these disputes had still not been resolved. Consumers who pay their electricity bills are already being charged high rates. He alleged that due to the huge outstanding dues payable by the government to the electricity board, the board was on the verge of closure. Electricity supply was also being provided for very limited periods. He urged the government to pay attention to these issues as well.
