Stepping up action against power defaulters, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) recovered ₹91.74 crore from 28,491 consumers and disconnected 5,835 electricity connections during a month-long recovery drive across the district, officials said.
Cracking down further on errant consumers, the power utility disconnected electricity connections of defaulters with outstanding dues amounting to ₹17.62 crore during the same period, officials added.
Launched on January 1, the special recovery drive forms part of PSPCL’s annual exercise to improve its financial health by collecting long-pending dues. The drive will continue until the end of March, coinciding with the conclusion of the current financial year, PSPCL officials said.
According to official data, the Ludhiana East circle topped the district in terms of bill recovery, accounting for ₹38.95 crore, followed closely by the Ludhiana West circle with ₹37.27 crore. The Suburban circle recovered ₹10.65 crore, while the Khanna circle contributed ₹4.84 crore to the total collection.
At the divisional level, industrial pockets emerged as the biggest contributors. The Sunder Nagar division recorded the highest recovery in the district at ₹15.95 crore, followed closely by the Focal Point division with ₹15.76 crore. The Estate division recovered ₹12.50 crore during the drive.
Residential areas also saw substantial recoveries. The Model Town division, which largely caters to posh localities of the city, recovered ₹9.16 crore, while the City West division collected ₹5.44 crore during the drive.
In terms of enforcement action, the Doraha subdivision reported the highest number of disconnections at 864, followed by Khanna (793), Sirhind (787) and City Centre (505), reflecting a strict approach against chronic defaulters, officials said.
Explaining the recovery process, a PSPCL official said consumers whose electricity bills remain unpaid for more than 60 days are classified as defaulters.
“During the drive, such consumers are served notices and given a 10-day window to clear their outstanding dues. If they fail to comply, their electricity connections are disconnected,” the official said.
Reconnection is initiated only after full payment of pending bills,” the official added.
Chief engineer Jagdev Hans said the drive was a crucial component of PSPCL’s annual financial discipline exercise.
“Timely recovery of dues helps us manage cash flow, reduce revenue losses and invest in infrastructure maintenance and system upgrades. We make every effort to give consumers adequate opportunity to clear their dues, while firm action is taken against persistent defaulters to ensure the overall financial stability of the corporation,” the chief engineer said.