Ludhiana, April 11 -- Punjab's transition to prepaid smart metering for government electricity connections has gathered pace, with around 38,000 of the state's nearly 52,000 such connections already fitted with smart meters since the roll-out began on February 15. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) is driving the shift to enforce payment discipline among government departments, which together owe over Rs.2,500 crore in pending electricity dues. Officials said departments with the highest number of connections include local government (5,929), school education (3,894), rural development and panchayat (1,632), water supply and sanitation (1,655), power (885), and home affairs and justice (672), making delayed payments a significant challenge. Under the prepaid model, departments need to recharge electricity accounts in advance, and supply will automatically stop once the balance is exhausted, removing the need for lengthy manual disconnection processes. Officials said the earlier postpaid model often led to months of bill pendency because disconnecting government offices involved long procedural approvals and multiple administrative layers, unlike domestic disconnections. As a result, dues kept piling up while Punjab State Power Corporation Limited's perational wing, which depends on active recovery to sustain cash flow and field operations, struggled to convert billed amounts into actual revenue. The smart meter system formally came into force on February 15, with instructions circulated to all field chief engineers and distribution heads for uniform implementation. Officials said the shift was expected to reduce dues' buildup, ease recovery pressure on the operational wing and ensure consumption aligned with available balance, bringing long-missing financial discipline to government power consumption....