Chandigarh Sep 29 PTI The Punjab government on Wednesday announced to waive power bills of those having electricity connection of up to 2 kW a move that will put a burden of Rs 1200 crore on the state exchequer The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi here The Punjab Cabinet also decided that disconnected electricity connections of consumers who could not pay their bills will also be restored without any penalty Addressing the media Channi said We today decided that consumers having up to 2 kw load who constitute 80 per cent of total consumers their arrears will be waived and the government will bear this He said after touring villages and towns he came to know that the biggest grievance of people was related to power bills He said power connections of many people have been snapped as they could not pay bills There are between 55000 and one lakh consumers whose power connections were cut because of non-payment of bills We discussed this issue in detail in our Cabinet meeting he said He said there are a total 72 lakh consumers in the state There are 53 lakh consumers who have up to 2 kW load in the state the CM said Their arrears till their last bill will be waived he said The arrears may be of months or years that will be borne by the state government he said in a reply to a question He said the government will pay arrears of the consumers to the power utility PSPCL Channi said it will put a financial burden of Rs 1200 crore on the state exchequer He further said his government will come down heavily on the sand mafia We are working round the clock on this It is an old nexus which has to be broken We will come out with a policy soon in this regard he said PTI CHS SUN VSD RDK RDK

Chandigarh Sep 28 PTI Razia Sultana resigned as the Punjab Cabinet minister on Tuesday just hours after Navjot Singh Sidhu quit as the state Congress chief In her resignation letter to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi Sultana said she is resigning in solidarity with Navjot Singh Sidhu Sultana is considered close to Sidhu Her husband Mohd Mustafa who is a former IPS officer is a principal strategic adviser to Sidhu Earlier in the day Sultana was given the charge of the water supply and sanitation social security women and child development printing and stationery departments She used to hold the transport department in the Amarinder Singh-led government PTI CHS SUN VSD RDK RDK