Court orders attachment of PSPCL XEN’s salary for denial of connection to MM Builders

Mohali (SAS Nagar): In what deals a severe blow to the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to improve the ease of doing business and anti-corruption drive in the state, Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) is not releasing electricity connection to a commercial entity notwithstanding the directions of the court. The permanent Lok Adalat of SAS Nagar on May 20, 2022, had directed the PSPCL to release the electricity connection to M/s MM Builders, which runs Sky Jumper in Oxford Street, Zirakpur owned by S M Hotel. The court also ordered the attachment of salary of HS Oberai, XEN, Zirakpur Division, and PSPCL. The court has termed the action of PSPCL as contempt of the orders of the Permanent Lok Adalat.

The court order reads - “Despite the orders of this court, the PSPCL is avoiding releasing the connection on flimsy grounds. We are of the considered view that the action of PSPCL amounts to contempt of the orders of this Adalat. Accordingly, before taking any further drastic action against the officers of PSPCL, we direct that the electricity connection be released to the applicant by tomorrow, that is, 22.6.2022. In the meantime, the salary of HS Oberai, XEN, Zirakpur Division, PSPCL is hereby attached. ” reads the court order signed by Vandana Gupta and Dr. SS Dhaliwal, both members of Permanent Lok Adalat, public utility services, SAS Nagar, dated June 21, 2022.

What further exposes serious chinks in the state’s administrative ecosystem is the nonchalant attitude of the Govt. Office (CMO) and PSPCL higher-ups have been approached by the aggrieved investor umpteen times but without getting any relief. Left with no option, he is using a generator, which is not only a huge financial burden on him but is also posing damage to the environment due to the non-serious attitude of the PSPCL.

On 10th March this year, SM Hotel, the parent company of Oxford Street, had given a representation to get electricity connection. However, on 29th March, an Enforcement raid took place on Sky Jumper, the parent company of MM Builders, and a tenant in Oxford Street, which was sent a Rs 1.5 crore penalty notice for electricity theft. S M Hotel (Oxford) approached the CMD and Director Distribution PSPCL then the illegal notice was withdrawn in 24 hours and the penalty was reduced to about Rs 4 lakhs + 6 lakhs compounding fees on M M Builders. Then M M Builders approached the Permanent Lok Adalat for illegal notice but the court ordered to first deposit 50% and MM Builders deposited this on the same date. After this, the local electricity department sent some fake demands of almost Rs 2 Lakhs to M M Builders also to fulfill them on the same date, which was also done.

The court order further reads: “Vide order dated 17.05.2022, we had directed PSPCL to install a temporary connection to MM Builders subject to the deposit of 50% of the charged amount of Rs 4,59,616 plus Rs 6,20,000. Further vide order dated 20.05.2022, this order was modified and PSPCL was directed to install the regular electricity connection to the applicant subject to a deposit of 50% of the charged amount of Rs 4,59,616 plus Rs 6,20,000.”

“It has been brought to our notice by the counsel for the applicant that as per the orders of this Adalat, the applicant has already deposited the above sum. However, the connection has not been released. On 31.05.2022, HS Oberai, XEN, Zirakpur Division, had made a statement that since SM Hotel had not provided the registration certificate, the connection could not be released,” the court observed.

Slamming the PSPCL, the court further reflected that “we are of the considered view that the PSPCL is acting in deliberate defiance of the order passed by this Adalat on 17.05.2022 and 20.05.2022. The present case has been filed by MM Builders. Accordingly, the question of getting any documents from SM Hotel before issuing the connection to MM Builders is of no consequence. BW