Punjab announces ₹518-crore relief on electricity bills
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced a One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme to provide relief to domestic electricity consumers, benefiting more than 24 lakh families. The scheme will waive all penalties and interest on outstanding electricity bills up to March 31, 2026, offering financial relief estimated at Rs 518 crore.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, Mann said beneficiaries would only have to pay the principal amount of their pending electricity bills. Consumers can pay 25 per cent of the outstanding principal immediately, while the remaining 75 per cent can be cleared in two instalments over one year.
The Chief Minister also announced that electricity connections disconnected due to unpaid bills would be restored under the scheme.
Meanwhile, former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar criticised the state government’s handling of law and order, alleging that criminal networks and various mafias were operating with political protection.
Jakhar said he would seek answers from AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and senior party leader Manish Sisodia over the situation in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the BJP is preparing a Scheduled Caste outreach campaign ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. The proposed Samrasta Sankalp Yatra will begin in Jalandhar on November 18, with BJP national president Nitin Nabin scheduled to flag it off. The campaign will conclude in Varanasi on December 3.
