Punjab extends tubewell load regularization scheme till Dec 29; Cuts charges for farmers
Service connection charges reduced from ₹6,572 to ₹2,500 per BHP; no penalty on excess load
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, November 14, 2026: The Punjab government has extended the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) for regularising excess load on agricultural tubewell connections by 45 days, till December 29, 2026, providing farmers additional time and reducing the financial cost of regularisation.
Announcing the extension, Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said the scheme, launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, would allow eligible agricultural tubewell consumers to regularise their unauthorised excess load under revised charges.
Under the revised provisions, service connection charges have been reduced from ₹6,572 to ₹2,500 per brake horsepower (BHP). The security deposit has also been cut from ₹400 to ₹200 per BHP.
Another key provision is the exemption from penalties and load surcharges on excess load declared voluntarily by farmers or detected during official inspections while the scheme remains in force.
Sond said the scheme was initially introduced for 45 days, from October 1 to November 14, 2026. With the latest extension, farmers will now have until December 29 to complete the regularisation process.
The minister urged agricultural tubewell consumers with excess sanctioned load to avail themselves of the revised charges and complete the necessary formalities before the extended deadline.