EVEN as the political debate rages over inflated power bills for lockdown period and notices issued for severing power supply connection of defaulters, the information compiled by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) shows that as many as 8,67,827 power consumers from 11 districts of Vidarbha have defaulted on payment of electricity bills of Rs 795 crore from April 1, 2020. As per the MSEDCL data for the entire State, total 42,26,560 consumers in 34 districts of Maharashtra had defaulted on payment of bills of Rs 4,190 crore for the period from April 1, 2020 to February 1, 2021. In thousands of cases, notices for disconnection of supply were issued to the consumers who had defaulted on payment of bills despite repeated requests.

 

 

The Opposition parties flayed the Government over insisting on recovery of inflated power bills even for the period of lockdown despite assurance of waiver of bills for power consumption up to 100 units. Maha Vikas Aghadi Government maintained a stoic silence over assurance of waiver of bills. However, it went ahead with stating that the consumers would have to clear dues or face disconnection of power supply. MSEDCL accordingly stepped up the recovery drive. Gradually, it appears from the official data, defaulters have started clearing the dues. Between February 1 and February 13, the number of defaulters reduced by a whopping 5,74,410. The amount of dues also came down from Rs 4,190 crore on February 1 to Rs 3,441 crore on February 13, that is, reduction by 749 crore. As far as Vidarbha region is concerned, total 8,67,827 consumers in 11 districts have defaulted on payment of power bill dues of Rs 795 crore. The default is for the period between April 1, 2020 and February 13, 2021.

 

The highest number of defaulters -- 1,70,897 -- is in Amravati district. They are yet to clear dues of Rs 116 crore. However, in terms of amount of dues, Nagpur tops the chart with Rs 197 crore. Total 1,24,140 consumers in Nagpur district are yet to clear the said amount of dues. Bhandara is the district with the lowest number of defaulters (15,202) and the amount of dues (Rs 10 crore). The total number of defaulters include the low tension (LT) consumers in residential, commercial, and industrial categories. In Nagpur district, maximum number of defaulters are in LT-Residential category. As many as 1,09,219 consumers are yet to clear dues of Rs 161 crore. In LT-Commercial category, 13,534 consumers have defaulted on payment of power bills of Rs 28.8 crore. Total 1,387 LT-Industrial consumers in Nagpur district have not cleared bills of Rs 6.5 crore.

 

Pune distt tops in default in State Among 34 districts in Maharashtra, politically powerful Pune district has the dubious distinction of topping the chart in number of defaulters as well as amount of dues of power bills. Pune district has total 4,21,062 consumers who have defaulted on payment of Rs 493 crore. In default in LT-Residential category also, it tops the chart with 3,67,834 defaulters and Rs 339 crore dues. It tops the chart in default in LT-Commercial as well as LT-Industrial categories too. In total number of defaulters, Pune is followed by Kolhapur (3,08,793), Solapur (2,40,501), Sangli (1,83,193), and Thane (1,81,042). In the outstanding amount of bills, Pune is followed by Parbhani (Rs 252 crore), Thane (Rs 239 crore), Kolhapur (Rs 211 crore), and Nagpur (Rs 197 crore). 

 

Defaulters to face power supply disconnection: MSEDCL MSEDCL has warned that the power supply to defaulters will be disconnected ‘in days to come’. The State-run power distribution utility has claimed that such a large default has affected its financial health adversely. “To ensure 24x7 power supply to consumers, power has to be purchased every month. Similarly, expenditure on power transmission is huge. Default on bill payment by consumers may result in MSEDCL facing big problems in ensuring uninterrupted power supply to consumers,” read an official statement issued by MSEDCL. Dr Nitin Raut, Energy Minister, directed MSEDCL to verify the complaints regarding inflated power bills. In MSEDCL’s own admission, it has ‘disposed of’ 9,33,324 out of total 9,80,499 complaints received so far, and the disposal of remaining complaints is in ‘final stages’.