Ludhiana, Dec. 15 -- The Punjab Electricity Ombudsman has pulled up Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for subjecting a Ludhiana-based industrial consumer to nearly five years of avoidable harassment after the corporation continued to bill him even after he formally applied for permanent disconnection of his electricity connection.

The consumer, Sunil Kumar, runs a forging unit in Sherpur under a large supply (LS) electricity connection.

The dispute dates back to 2018, when PSPCL booked Kumar's unit for alleged unauthorised use of electricity and imposed a penalty of Rs.21.94 lakh. The corporation claimed that induction heaters in his unit were being used without prior approval.

Challenging this assessment, Kumar approached...