Ludhiana, Feb. 10 -- In a major push to enforce billing discipline and curb mounting arrears, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has identified 2,538 government electricity connections in Ludhiana for conversion to prepaid smart metering, beginning February 15, officials aware of the matter said.

The move follows alarming defaults by government departments across Punjab, which together owe more than Rs.302 crore in unpaid electricity bills in Ludhiana alone as of November 2025, prompting the power utility to tighten recovery mechanisms.

Officials said the prepaid rollout would be limited to non-essential government services, while emergency and critical public utilities would remain outside its ambit.

Of the nearly 7,40...