Ludhiana, Dec. 26 -- Despite clear provisions in the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) supply code mandating that applications for reduction of electricity load be processed within 15 days, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has failed to act on a consumer's request for over nine months, forcing him to pay electricity bills to the tune of Rs.1.3 lakh for a vacant house in Tagore Nagar.

The consumer, identified as Shashi Aggarwal of the City West division, had applied for a reduction in domestic connection load from 60 kW to 15 kW on March 23 at a Seva Kendra under the Aggar Nagar division. However, despite repeated follow-ups, the PSPCL has yet to process the application, continuing to levy fixed char...