E-Paper
MSEDCL to cut power supply if consumers have not paid a month’s bill
The cash-strapped Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has decided to cut the power supply of consumers even if they have not paid a month’s electricity bills
PUNE The cash-strapped Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has decided to cut the power supply of consumers even if they have not paid a month’s electricity bills. The move comes after over 0.6million defaulters were found in the cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad alone, which is more than other cities of western Maharashtra.
Ankush Nale, regional director of western Maharashtra, MSEDCL, said, “The arrears have crossed Rs25,000 million in the western Maharashtra region, which comprises the Pune, Sangli, Satara, Solapur and Kolhapur districts. MSEDCL is facing acute financial problems at the state level. So, we have intensified action against defaulters including even those who haven’t paid a month’s bills. Earlier, we had been given up to six months to pay arrears but we don’t have a choice now. We have to collect the arrears to provide financial stability to MSEDCL. We have disconnected the power supply of over 0.1 million consumers in the last fortnight.”
“We have given targets to each division to collect arrears. In the Pune district, we have given a target of Rs15,000 million for this month. We have also started night surveillance in a bid to take action against defaulters whose power supply has been disconnected but are stealing electricity from their neighbours and other sources,” Nale said.
MSEDCL has also decided to file criminal complaints under the Indian Electricity Act (2003) against defaulters who are stealing power supply from other sources.
A MSEDCL official said, “After disconnecting the power supply of some defaulters, we found they were stealing power from neighbours and other sources such as street lights. Hence, we have started night surveillance to take criminal action against such people.”
As per MSEDCL Pune circle statistics, there are more than 2.4 million consumers in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, which includes residential, commercial, industrial and other consumers. Of the over 2.4 million consumers, 0.622 million haven’t paid their electricity bills till date. The outstanding amount is Rs2,910 million ranging from a month to a year of unpaid dues.
MSEDCL has appealed to consumers to pay their electricity bills as early as possible. MSEDCL has opened collection centres over weekends that are operational during official working hours. Consumers can pay their bills through mobile or the MSEDCL website and MSEDCL has also provided the option of paying arrears of more than Rs10,000 through RTGS or NEFT.
