Mohali :
Former Mohali mayor Amarjit Singh, popularly known as Jeeti Sidhu, on Wednesday raised questions over the Punjab government’s claims regarding electricity bill waivers, alleging that poor families in Kumbra village have received bills ranging from ₹12,000 to ₹50,000.
Addressing a press conference, Jeeti Sidhu displayed electricity bills of several families and said that a number of widowed women were among those facing the alleged burden of high bills. He said that paying such large amounts was difficult for these families.
He cited the case of a woman who, according to him, had taken a bank loan of ₹50,000 to clear her outstanding electricity dues. He claimed that she had deposited two instalments of ₹18,000 each towards her PSPCL bill, but around ₹16,000 was still shown as outstanding.
Jeeti Sidhu questioned the government’s claims of providing relief from electricity bills, saying that the cases brought forward by residents of Kumbra presented a different picture. He demanded that the government clarify when relief would be provided to these families.
He further claimed that many of the affected families live in small rooms and have limited electricity consumption. According to him, some households have only one fan, one light and a table fan, yet they have allegedly received bills running into thousands of rupees.
Women from around eight to ten affected families, along with Balwinder Singh Kumbra, were present at the press conference. The women displayed their electricity bills and spoke about the difficulties they were facing due to the alleged outstanding amounts.
Jeeti Sidhu said that if the Congress came to power, the electricity bills of such families would be investigated and, according to him, the outstanding amounts would be written off. He also said that electricity meters of families whose connections had been disconnected would be reinstalled.
Jeeti Sidhu Raises Drug Issue
Jeeti Sidhu also criticised the Punjab government over the issue of drug abuse. He claimed that the drug problem continues to affect the state and alleged that cases involving young women, along with young men, were also emerging.
He said that if the present government receives another term, the situation concerning Punjab’s younger generation could become serious by 2032. He appealed to people to change the government and give the Congress an opportunity, saying that it could work towards addressing Punjab’s problems, public welfare and the issue of drug abuse.
