Patiala, Feb. 8 -- Against the backdrop of mounting pending electricity bills of over Rs.2,500 crore owed by various government departments, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has decided to introduce prepaid smart metering for all government electricity connections across the state from February 15.

Under the new system, electricity supply to government offices will be automatically disconnected once the prepaid balance is exhausted. However, disconnections will be carried out only during a fixed window - between 10 am and 1 pm on working days. Supply will be restored automatically upon recharge, and no reconnection fee will be charged.

The instructions, issued on Saturday, have been circulated to all chief engineers, d...