ADB loan linked to power bills? payment

THE ASIAN Development Bank?s State-level advisory board today told four urban bodies of the State to clear all the liabilities of electricity bills. The electricity dues of these urban bodies have mounted to Rs 250 crore.

THE ASIAN Development Bank’s State-level advisory board today told four urban bodies of the State to clear all the liabilities of electricity bills. The electricity dues of these urban bodies have mounted to Rs 250 crore.

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The board members told the municipal commissioners of Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur to pay the electricity bills in any case. They were advised to take loan to pay electricity bills.

Finance Principal Secretary Sumit Bose and Urban Administration Secretary Sewaram were present as the member of the board. The municipal corporations were told that the ADB loan would be given only after clearing these liabilities. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been planning to implement schemes worth Rs 179 crore through ADB loan.

It was informed that the Indore Municipal Corporation has the highest dues of electricity bills worth Rs 130 crore. The BMC has to pay the electricity bills dues of Rs 31.14 crore. The commissioners of municipal corporations pleaded that these dues are not correct.

They said they were given the water supply schemes in 1995. Earlier, the water supply was being maintained by the Public Health Engineering (PHE). Therefore, the PHE should pay the dues of period before 1995. Bose told the commissioners to hold a meeting in this regard with PHE and MP State Electricity Board officials.