Chandigarh, Apr 7 (IANS): To further mitigate the hardships faced by the people amid the lockdown, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced a reduction in the fixed charges for electricity consumers, along with deferment of the deadline for payment of bills.

He also instructed the power department to provide uninterrupted 24x7 supply to all healthcare institutions.

The PSPCL will have to bear an additional burden of Rs 350 crore due to the various reliefs announced for the consumers, an official spokesperson said, adding that the Chief Minister also lauded the employees for their untiring efforts in maintaining a continuous supply of power in this time of crisis.he

No disconnection would be carried out for non-payment of bills for now, the Chief Minister said.

The reliefs have been announced in view of the unprecedented situation in which consumers are unable to pay their dues to the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), according to the spokesperson.

As per the Chief Minister's directives, due date of electricity bills of all the domestic and commercial consumers, having current monthly and bimonthly bills up to Rs 10,000 payable on or after March 20 has been extended up to April 20, without levy of late payment surcharge.

Further, one per cent rebate will be given to the consumers, exclusive of any previous arrears, who will pay electricity bills online through digital modes by the original due date.