PSEB engineers seek an end to free power

They said while in earlier years the state government used to give loans to the Board for executing development works, later there was a change in policy and every undertaking board was expected to function on a viable basis without any budgetary support. quot;Now, the government policy has swung to the other extreme that instead of giving any budgetary support, the government is putting a direct burden of Rs 1,200 crore per year on PSEB due to free supply for the agriculture sector and forcing the Board to finance the populist policies of the government.quot;

The provision of Section 59 of the Electricity Supply Act makes it mandatory for every state electricity board to earn a three per cent return, but it is being flouted by the Punjab government, they alleged.