Power supply to MP energy minister’s brother’s plant cut due to unpaid dues

The energy minister said the rules applied to every one and called for appropriate action against his brother’s company.

In demonstration of tough action against the defaulters of power bills, Madhya Pradesh Central Zone Power Distribution Company on Thursday, disconnected power supply to five stone-crushing plants in Gwalior, including a plant owned by a brother of State’s energy minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar due to the non-payment of huge power bills.

MP energy minister said he was not aware that his brother’s company has dues towards the power distribution company. (Courtesy: Twitter-@PradhumanGwl)

“The high- tension connections to the following stone crushing plants at Billowa in Dabra circle (Gwalior) have been disconnected due to non-payment of outstanding bills despite issuance of notices and persuasion to them,” said an official statement from the company listing the defaulters.

According to an officer, Rituraj stone crusher company in the Billowa area is registered in the name of Devendra Singh Tomar, the elder brother of energy minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar. The firm was given the power connection in the year 2014. The company had not been paying the bills for the past one year amounting to Rs 95.92 lakhs in the month of August.

The power distribution company’s general manager (O&M), Sunil Khare said, “I don’t know who is operating the crushing machines but we have snapped the power supplies of five defaulters including Rituraj stone crushing company. The action is part of our drive to recover the outstanding bills of about Rs 400 crore in the Gwalior region.”

Despite efforts, Devendra Singh Tomar couldn’t be reached for his comments. He didn’t respond to phone calls and a text message.

However, his brother and MP’s energy minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar said, “It’s true that Rituraj stone crusher belongs to my brother, but I don’t know that my brother’s company has not paid electricity bills. I came to know about it just on Thursday and I have asked the management of the power distribution company to take action according to the rules, which are the same for everybody.”