Give exemption from penalties: FOPSIA to CM, Punjab

Ludhiana, August 1, 2012: FOPSIA president Badish K Jindal has written to Punjab Chief Minister in connection with exemption from penalties to be imposed due to non-obeying the power regulatory measures.

He write; “It is earnestly requested that in the month of July the Punjab have seen the worst scenario of power crises, The main reason behind this was the shortfall of rain and mismanagement of PSPCL,

The height of mismanagement was that in the month of July the PSPCL issued nineteen telephonic circulars for power regulatory measures, some of them were the imposition of scheduled off’s and a few were regarding changes in peak load policies and supply to continues process industries.

The PSPCL put these telephonic messages on their website and treat it as order of the Corporation to follow that, whereas in Punjab as we all aware that 90% of the Industrialists don’t have internet or computer facility. Under such circumstances it is too hard for the Industrialist to follow the schedule of PSPCL. Even during the power cuts it was difficult for the Industrialists to even check these notifications on the Site of PSPCL.

The Industry in Punjab had already faced huge looses on account of shut down of their factories due to power crises, the situation is that Category III is facing a four days weekly off and Category II is facing a three days weekly off, under such circumstances its even difficult to met the minimum expenses and most of the factories are forced to shut down due to the scarcity of rawmaterial and labor,

Even after its own worst performance the PSPCL will impose the huge penalties on the Industrialists even for minor errors in following the schedule of cuts or peak loads issued by PSPCL on their site.

The regulatory authority has given the powers to the PSPCL for imposing the power regulatory measures but they have also been ordered to gave its proper information to consumes well advance in time.”

He sought that under section 108 of electricity act an instruction may be issued to PSPCL for not imposing such penalties on the consumers for minor ignorance of such orders.