Ludhiana, Dec. 21 -- Highlighting a string of serious lapses in billing practices and internal accountability, the Punjab Electricity Ombudsman has quashed a staggering Rs.26.26 lakh electricity demand slapped by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on Gobindgarh Public College. The demand was issued after the utility wrongly linked an incorrect power connection to the institution's account-a technical error that went undetected by officials for more than five years and ultimately drew sharp censure from the regulatory authority.

The case dates back to March 2019, when the Mandi Gobindgarh-based college, which holds a non-residential supply (NRS) electricity connection with a sanctioned load of nearly 150 kW, installed a ro...