In view of the electricity-related issues being faced by government schools, health institutions, and other government offices in Punjab due to the installation of prepaid electricity meters, the Finance Department has taken a significant decision. The Department has approved the release of advance funds to various government institutions for electricity recharges, ensuring that power supply remains uninterrupted and is not disrupted due to delays in timely recharging.
According to reports, complaints began surfacing shortly after smart prepaid meters were installed in the offices of various departments across several districts of the state. This situation arose because, under the existing government protocol, electricity bills were paid only after undergoing a lengthy administrative process and obtaining approval from the designated financial officer. Consequently, bills for many departments would remain pending for months; and while power connections were not disconnected—given that they belonged to government entities—the accumulated arrears continued to mount steadily. Under the previous system, this arrangement caused no inconvenience to anyone, as the electricity supply remained continuous regardless of whether payments were made or not.
However, the situation changed drastically following the installation of prepaid meters. As the name implies, prepaid meters are designed to automatically cut off the power supply—typically after issuing one or two warnings—once the prepaid credit balance has been exhausted. Consequently, over the recent past, the Finance Department had been receiving complaints from across the state, accompanied by requests to devise an alternative mechanism to address this issue.
When this matter was brought to the attention of Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, a decision was reached following a meeting with officials. To effectively tackle the situation arising from the introduction of prepaid meters, it was decided to authorize the concerned schools and government offices to recharge their prepaid electricity meters on a monthly basis, utilizing an average amount calculated based on their actual electricity consumption during the preceding year. This new arrangement will not only ensure continued oversight regarding expenditure control but will also guarantee that there are no disruptions to the electricity supply.
In this regard, the Finance Department has issued formal letters to all Heads of Departments and Deputy Commissioners, officially notifying them of this approval. To ensure the smooth implementation and maintenance of this system, the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) of the respective offices have been entrusted with the necessary responsibilities. Instructions have been issued to obtain a certificate of average monthly consumption for the office from PSPCL, and subsequently to transfer the corresponding consumption amount from the government treasury to the relevant PSPCL account in advance. This will ensure the regular recharging of electricity meters.
