MSEDCL initiates action against 2.50L power defaulters in Pune city, PCMC

PUNE Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has undertaken a three-week special drive in Pune district to recover power bills from defaulters. They have cautioned the defaulters to pay bills or face a power cut.

The electricity company has identified 13.86 lakh defaulters in Pune district, including 2,50,202 defaulters in Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas who have not paid bills since April 2020 and have an outstanding amount of ₹682 crore. The defaulters include residential, industrial and commercial consumers.

In Pune district, there are around 36 lakh consumers, including 25 lakh consumers in Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad area.

Sachin Talewar, chief engineer, MSEDCL, Pune circle, said, “We have started taking action against defaulters and especially those consumers who haven’t paid electricity bills from April 2020.”

“Despite repeated reminders, these consumers have failed to pay the bills. We had also given them the option to pay bills in 12 months instalments. However, the response was not good. So we have started disconnecting power supply,” he said.

“We have given targets to employees to take action against defaulters and collect outstanding dues. If consumers pay the initial amount and divide the remaining amount in instalments, the company will not disconnect the power supply,” he said.

Vivek Velankar, civic activist, said, “Due to political interference in the electricity bill issue, people were anticipating that bill amount will be waived off during the pandemic, but that was not the case. Now the outstanding amount is high and so MSEDCL has started taking action against defaulters.”

MSEDCL consumers in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad

(Amount outstanding from April 2020 till date)

Types of defaulters==Outstanding amount

Residential== 2, 02,754== Rs213.44 crore

Commercial==43,205== Rs106.57 crore

Industrial==4,243== Rs24.4 crore

Total 2, 50,202== Rs344.6 crore