Nawanshahr: The Punjab Power Department has courted a controversy by snapping the power connection of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's ancestral house and the nearby park due to pending bills in Nawanshahr on Friday. The Congress party has offered to pay the bills from its funds after which the department restored the connection.
Former sarpanch of the village, Sukhwinder Singh while confirming the development said, "A team of Power Department officials turned up at the martyr's house and snapped the power supply." While officials said that a power bill of over Rs 19,000 was pending which was due to be paid in October. "The power supply was snapped after non-payment of the dues," an official said.
Also read: Comparing Sisodia, Jain with Bhagat Singh unfortunate, says Punjab Cong chief
However, the Punjab government's move to deprive the power supply to the ancestral house of the freedom fighter has received brickbats from the people and the opposition. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Waring took a dig at the government for snapping the power supply for a petty pending bill of Rs 19,000.
In a statement, Waring said, "The electricity bill is around Rs 2000, while the salary of the gardener and caretaker working here is about 1,80,000. The outstanding bill will be paid by the Congress party on Monday". Following the backlash, the power department immediately restored the power connection late in the evening.
