Pune:
About 350 government offices in Pune district will have to face power cuts following non-payment of bills, cumulatively estimated at Rs 48.74 lakh.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has launched a statewide drive to recover overdue bills. Sources said that under the Pune zone -- Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and most of Pune district -- there are about 350 government offices that have electricity bills pending till August this year.
"These establishments have been served notices and if they do not pay bills before the stipulated date, their power connection might be cut off," the sources said. MSEDCL has set a target to recover Rs 460 crore this month against collection of Rs 447 crore in September from the Pune zone.
The employees of the power utility have been making efforts every day to meet the target. Even the chief engineer of Pune zone, SP Nagtilak, is out in the field, leading a team of employees to check whether consumers have got proper power connections.
MSEDCL sources said that the power utility has set a target to recover dues of Rs 2,500 crore and the Pune zone contributes significantly to the treasury of the power utility. Out of the 350 government offices in the district, which have overdue power bills, 312 offices are in the urban area and they have bills of Rs 33.95 lakh pending, while 38 offices in the rural area have pending bills of Rs 14.79 lakh.
There are many more government offices in the district, but the MSEDCL is focusing on these 350 offices which have pending bills. "Government offices are treated on par with private commercial establishments and they have to pay the tariff applicable to the commercial category," MSEDCL sources stated.
The power utility has undertaken a statewide drive to recover bills considering serious financial trouble due to distribution losses. Managing director of MSEDCL, Ajoy Mehta, is personally supervising the efforts to recover bills and to improve the financial position of the power utility.
Meanwhile, state power minister Ajit Pawar said at a public meeting in Mumbai recently that his department would provide proper support to the MSEDCL staff in their drive to recover dues. He said no one, including politicians or businessmen, would be given any concession.
On Wednesday the MSEDCL disconnected power connection of Samarth police station in the city for non-payment of bills of Rs 5.20 lakh. Earlier, they had cut off power supply to the employment exchange office for the same reason.
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