300 domestic units free: No hike in rates of Industrial and commercial power, says Punjab CM

CHANDIGARH: Fulfilling its major promise made during run-up to the Vidhan Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Government led by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced 300 units of free electricity from July 1 in Punjab.

Addressing newly recruited officers/employees of Punjab State Transmission Corporation (PSTCL) at a function organized on the occasion of the foundation day of the PSTCL here today at Municipal Bhawan sector 35, Bhagwant Mann said that the Punjab government would provide 600 units of free electricity to every household every two months. However, there will be no hike in the rates of commercial units in the state.

Earlier, welcoming the Chief Minister and newly recruited officers and employees, the Power Minister Harbhajan Singh said that transmission capacity of PSTCL would be enhanced to 39588 in 2022 as compared to 38160 in 2021. He said that Panchwada coal mine which was closed from the year 2015, now the dewatering work has been started in this coal mine and Punjab is expected to get coal from this site in the present year. He also added that to reduce the expenditure of coal for private thermal power plants an agreement has been made with Coal India to get coal from the nearby north India coal mines which includes 28 lac ton for Rajpura Thermal Power plant and 10 lac ton for Talwandi Thermal Power Plant.

PSTCL today gave appointment letters to 718 candidates for the various posts viz A.E./Electrical, A.E./Civil, A.M./HR, A.M./IT, Account Officer, J.E./Sub-Station, J.E./Civil J.E./Communication Divisional Accountant, LDC/Accounts, LDC/Typist, Assistant Sub-station Attendant(ASSA), Assistant Lineman(ALM) etc.