Ahead of the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls in Punjab, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has been embroiled in a controversy over the non-payment of electricity dues, reported India Today.
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued a pending bill of ₹4,22,330 on January 19 this year. Navjot Singh Sidhu has not paid the electricity bill of his residence in Amristar for the past 6 months. The latest bill issued by the PSPCL also includes surcharge and interest, which have been incurred on the unpaid dues.
Despite defaulting on the payment since August 2021, Sidhu’s electricity connection has remained intact. India Today reported that this is not the first time since he did not pay his bill. In July last year, he created a hullaballoo after PSPCL handed him a bill of ₹8,74,784.
In a tweet of July 4, 2021, Navjot Singh Sidhu had demanded free power supply of up to 300 units to domestic consumers. “Punjab already provides 9000 Crore Subsidy but we must do more for Domestic & Industrial consumer giving power at Rs 3-5 per unit instead of surcharge inflated Rs 10-12 per unit, along with 24-hour supply with No Power-Cuts & Free Power (Upto 300 Units)…It is definitely achievable,” the Punjab Congress chief wrote.
The BJP has questioned Sidhu on his doublespeak. BJP leader Vineet Joshi slammed, “Navjot Sidhu, on one hand, is raising the issue of losses caused by the mafias to the state exchequer and is looting his own government on the other. He is a defaulter and the PSPCL is not daring to disconnect his power connection due to his influence.”
NRI sister makes serious allegations against Navjot Singh Sidhu
On Friday (January 28), Sidhu’s sister Suman Tur alleged that he had thrown her and their mother out of home in 1986 after the death of their father. Weeping inconsolably, Tur revealed the heart-rending tale of how their mother was “left to die unattended by her son, after the demise of her beloved husband.” Their mother died at Delhi railway station unattended in 1989, Tur claimed.
“We have endured harsh situations. My mother was in the hospital for four months. I have documentary evidence to back my claims,” Tur said. Calling Sidhu a “cold-blooded person”, Tur, an NRI and US citizen, alleged that her brother did not even bother to offer condolences after the tragic death in an accident of his eldest sister and other family members. She urged the public to seek answers from Sidhu on the matter.