Power supply to 3,250 families in Mumbai’s Chembur cut over ₹77 crore dues

In June 2018, Reliance Energy, which owned power business then, had also disconnected power supply to the Siddharth Colony slum cluster. But it was later restored following an intervention by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML) on Wednesday disconnected power supply to 3,250 families residing in the slum settlements of Siddharth Colony, Chembur, as they have not paid dues amounting to ₹77 crores over 14 years.

Siddharth Colony, a slum cluster, has been in the news for non-payment of electricity dues since long. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Siddharth Colony, a slum cluster, has been in the news for non-payment of electricity dues since long.

AEML issued a statement on Wednesday: “The bills of over ₹77 crore have remained uncleared in spite of repeated intimations being raised to address the non-payment.”

In June 2018, Reliance Energy (which owned the power business then) had also disconnected power supply to the settlement. However, it was restored after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had intervened and the company got an assurance that the payment would be done within three months.

After AEML took over, the company gave them an extension till December 2018, but it has not received any payment till now, a spokesperson from the company said.

In its statement, the company has mentioned that it also provided options for part payments to be made.

Santosh Sanjkar, who had a filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court for the slum-dwellers said that the people were assured by the builders undertaking redevelopment in the colony that the bills will be cleared by them. “The slum rehabilitation is pending since 2006. We have requested the company to let us pay starting the current month’s bill. Every household has arrears of ₹7 to ₹8 lakh which can be paid only in instalments,” said Sanjkar, a lawyer and resident of Chembur.