PSPCL slaps Rs 75,000 fine on Akali leader
Friday, 07/07/2017
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/pspcl-slaps-rs-75-000-fine-on-akali-leader/432873.html
Muktsar : The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on SAD leader and former Punjab Mandi Board vice-chairman Mandeep Singh Pappi Tarmala for installing a “free power supply” tubewell at his residence at Tarmala village in Lambi Assembly segment.
A team of PSPCL officials had yesterday conducted raids at Tarmala and other villages.
Parminder Singh, SDO, PSPCL, Abul Khurana subdivision, said, “The team found a ‘free power supply’ tubewell installed at the residence of Pappi Tarmala. For this, he will be fined Rs 75,000.”
Pappi Tarmala said, “We recently extended the boundaries of our residence. A tubewell now falls on the premises. I was not present in the house when the team arrived. My father told the power officials that we would relocate the tubewell outside our residence. But they told us that a notice would be served on us.”
He added, “We have a three-phase power supply connection at our residence and a meter installed outside. We are paying a power bill of Rs 12,000 to 14,000 per month. Besides, we have two ‘free power supply’ tubewell connections for our fields.”
Alleging political vendetta, he said, “The electricity meters of only SAD workers were checked in the village. The team didn’t visit the residence of any Congressman. They came twice to my residence.”
Sources said the officials had imposed a penalty of about Rs 20 lakh on those found violating norms.
Earlier this year, PSPCL officials had acted against defaulting SAD and Congress leaders. The supply to SAD’s Muktsar district incharge Dyal Singh Kolianwali’s residence, SAD’s Muktsar constituency incharge Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi’s (now MLA) office and former Congress MLA Karan Kaur Brar’s residence was discontinued over outstanding power bills. In March, officials had detected a ‘kundi’ connection at the residence of Virpal Kaur Tarmala, member, Punjab State Commission for Women.
Vendetta charge
"The electricity meters of only SAD workers were checked in the village. The team didn’t visit the residence of any Congressman. They came twice to my residence." Mandeep Pappi Tarmala, SAD
