700 Adani consumers face power disconnection due to non-payment of bills

Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) has decided to disconnect power supply of around 700 consumers from Siddharth Colony in Chembur who have not paid their electricity bills since the past two years

Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) has decided to disconnect power supply of around 700 consumers from Siddharth Colony in Chembur who have not paid their electricity bills since the past two years. The decision has sparked discontent among the residents who said it was unfair to deprive them of power, especially when most of them are in a financial stress due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

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AEML has defended the move saying it was acting against those who are not complying despite multiple remainders. “We have initiated disconnection action against only those consumers who have failed to make their electricity bill payment since June 2019. AEML has given multiple notices to these consumers. The continued payment default by them is resulting in undue tariff burden on other paying consumers. Therefore, we are constrained to disconnect power supply of defaulting consumers,” said AEML spokesperson.

AEML, which provides electricity to nearly 3,250 customers at Siddharth Colony, said the 700 consumers owe ₹2.5 crore as unpaid bills.

Residents said they have defaulted on bill payment as things are beyond their control. “My son lost his job last May and since then has been jobless. He is getting a job at Churchgate but he cannot travel as trains are shut for common citizens and buses are full. The company should not cut electricity on humanitarian grounds,” said a 56-year-old homemaker who is among the defaulters.

Last August, AEML had put on hold their mass power disconnection drive after protests and a compromise was reached where the residents agreed to clear the bills. However while a majority of them paid the same, around 700 are still to do the needful.