Power bill is set to increase in Chandigarh from the next billing cycle as the UT Administrator on Wednesday gave approval to the imposition of 10 paise per unit municipal cess on electricity.
The approval was given by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Bandore during a high-level meeting with senior UT officers here.
The decision will affect more than 2.25 lakh consumers of all categories, who can expect their power bills to be inflated by 10-12 percent depending on consumption. For instance, usage of 1,000 units will invite a cess of Rs 100 now.
Reeling under major financial crunch, the Municipal Corporation plans to earn atleast Rs 15 crore annually from the cess once it is notified.
In Chandigarh, domestic consumers are sent electricity bills every two months, while bills for other categories of consumers are generated monthly. Of the 2.25 lakh consumers, around 1.75 lakh are residential users.
Notably, it was during last year that the MC General House had approved imposition of the cess on power bills. It is done for the betterment of operation and maintenance of street lights maintained by MC.
Administrator approves proposed traffic violation compounding feeThe Chandigarh Administration on Wednesday decided to impose minimum penalty in certain offences under the amended Motor Vehicle Act.
The Administrator has approved the traffic violation compounding fee for the city.
A notification regarding traffic violation compounding fee will be issued in a day or two, said a senior officer of UT Administration.
For instance, in a certain traffic violation, the fine ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 while in another it ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000, we have decided to keep it minimum in one case and maximum in another violation, the officer said.
He said that there were be clarity on minimum penalty to be charged only after a notification is issued on the fine levied under various violations.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act (Amendment) Act 2019, which came into effect from September 1, additional new penalties were introduced in case of violation of road regulations. The new penalty can be between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000.
For over speeding, fine is between Rs 1000 — Rs 2000 for light motor vehicle, Rs 2,000 - Rs 4,000 for medium passenger or goods vehicles. Similarly, for dangerous driving, first time offenders will face imprisonment of six months to one year and/or fine of between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000. For the second offence, the offender will be imprisoned for up to 2 years and/or will have to pay a fine of up to Rs 10,000.