6,253 local body, Govt consumers default MSEDCL bills; published on Jan 16, 2013

6,253 Govt, local body consumers default MSEDCL bills 

 

• MSEDCL has asked them to pay an amount of Rs 2.22 crore only and avoid disconnection

• MSEDCL issues ‘disconnection without prior intimation’ notice to Bhandara and Tumsar municipal councils

By Kartik Lokhande

Shocking information has come to fore that a total of 6,253 Government establishments and local bodies have defaulted payment of power bills to the tune of Rs 15,36,73,712. As the average days of arrears is 54.36 in case of Government establishments, it is surprising as to how the state-run power distribution utility Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has tolerated this.

Nagpur Zone of MSEDCL has five circles namely Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli covering these districts. In these circles, there are a total of 4,284 local body/corporation/public sector consumers. These include Zilla Parishad, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), municipal corporation, ‘B’ Class municipalities, ‘C’ Class municipalities, Gram Panchayats, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB), Central Government’s public sector establishment, State Government’s public sector establishments, and others. These establishments have power bills arrears of Rs 13,00,38,959. If one adds interest of Rs 1,44,50,763 on the arrears, the total amount of arrears swells to Rs 14,44,89,722. Among these consumers, 1,996 Gram Panchayats have the maximum dues of Rs 9,18,63,320 (including interest arrears).

In the category of Government consumers, various departments of State Government are covered. These include General Administration, Planning, Home, Revenue and Forest, School Education, Finance, Law and Judiciary, Public Works, Food and Civil Supplies, Water Resources, Rural Development and Water Conservation, Public Health, Social Justice, Cultural Affairs and Sports, Tribal Development, Agriculture, Higher and Technical Education, Women and Child Welfare, Co-operation and Textiles, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Employment and Self-employment, Industry, Energy, and Labour, Environment, Water Supply and Sanitation. There are a total of 1,969 consumers in this category in five districts of Nagpur Division, and they have defaulted payment of Rs 91,83,990.

Consumers in this category have defaulted payment of power bills for an average 54.36 days. Some of these have defaulted payment of bills for more than 50 days. Prominent among these defaulters are Women and Child Welfare Department in Chandrapur district (145 days), Fisheries Department in Chandrapur district (207 days), Tribal Development Department in Bhandara district (97 days), Food and Civil Supplies Department in Chandrapur district (90 days), Rural Development and Water Conservation Department in Gadchiroli district (137 days), Home Department in Gondia district (92 days), Law and Judiciary Department and Public Works Department in Gondia district (132 and 171 days respectively), Public Health Department in the same district (106 days). However, the worst default is in the name of Employment and Self-employment Department in Gondia district. In this case, the department has defaulted payment of bills for 1,119 days!

In case of domestic consumers, MSEDCL often resorts to disconnection if payment of power bills is delayed by over 15 days. However, in case of Government establishments, it appears that MSEDCL has been lenient for a long time. According to officials, who wished to be anonymous, said that MSEDCL has taken a serious note of huge dues and has decided to send notices to all these establishments asking them to pay bills at the earliest or face disconnection. But, sources said, MSEDCL has actually asked these consumers with arrears to pay an amount of only Rs 2,22,36,939 crore for now and then pay remaining dues gradually.

Meanwhile, in another development on Thursday, Superintending Engineer (O&M) of Bhandara Sub-Division of MSEDCL served ‘disconnection without prior intimation’ notice to Bhandara and Tumsar municipal councils as they failed to pay the arrears of Rs 1,21,18,619 and Rs 97,09,237 respectively despite issuance of notices previously. It remains to be seen if MSEDCL acts tough against Government agencies with huge arrears.

Power bills arrears with local bodies, corporations etc

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Category               No. of consumers        Total Arrears    Demand

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Zilla Parishad                 55                       Rs 23,27,872     Rs 8,25,672

MJP                               23                       Rs 9,62,892        Rs 3,15,876

Mun Corpns                  66                       Rs 5,45,053        Rs 2,43,598

‘B’ Class

municipality                   08                       Rs 2,07,750        Rs 25,318

‘C’ Class

municipality                   120                     Rs 18,02,160      Rs 8,94,310

Gram Panchayat          1,996                   Rs 9,18,63,320   Rs 72,25,047

MIDC                             01                     Rs 9,205              Rs 1,332

MSEB                             01                     Rs 5,524              Rs 3,123

Public Sector

(Central Govt)                01                     Rs 10,691            Rs 50

Public Sector

(State Govt)                    05                     Rs 43,288            Rs 7,294

Others                           2,008                  Rs 4,67,11,967    Rs 76,27,106

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Total                              4,284                  Rs 14,44,89,722   Rs 1,71,68,726

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Circle-wise bill arrears of Govt departments

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District         No. of consumers         Arrears

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Bhandara         357                         Rs 8,82,859

Gondia             468                         Rs 28,40,344

Gadchiroli        342                         Rs 30,07,488

Chandrapur     490                          Rs 14,20,946

Wardha            312                          Rs 10,32,353

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Total             1,969                           Rs 91,83,990

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