Govt waives power bill arrears

The Delhi government has finally given Distcoms the go ahead to waive arrears to the tune of Rs 2,738 crore from the DVB/DESU era. HT Correspondent reports.

Have a long pending power bill to pay from days before the Delhi Vidyut Board was unbundled? There is some good news for you. The Delhi Government has finally given Distcoms the go ahead to waive arrears to the tune of Rs 2,738 crore from the DVB/DESU era.

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“We have asked the distcoms to implement the decision from the next cycle. The Delhi Government has released Rs 2,738 crore, so the distcoms will clear this pending amount in their next bill,” said AK Walia, Delhi Power Minister. The state government had announced in its last budget that arrears pending from the DVB/DESU days would be settled in this financial year. Detractors had called the move an election sop.

“This is among several other measures taken to balance the power distribution system and recovery of revenue, apart from preventing theft. We have received 8,242 requests for meter change, settlement of theft cases and new connection,” said Walia.

Walia said the benefit of subsidised electricity on containing consumption of up to 150/200 units per month has started percolating down to the consumers. He said around 10 lakh consumers have benefited from the scheme by containing their consumption of electricity to up to 150 units during March 2008.