NASHIK: The Nashik zone of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has disconnected power supply of more than 10,000 consumers who failed to clear their outstanding dues.
The officials of the Nashik zone, comprising Nashik and Ahmednagar districts, have started a disconnection drive against all consumers who have not paid their electricity bills. During this drive, power supply of as many as 10,260 consumers have been disconnected.
“We started the drive as the outstanding amount is mounting. There are 7.29 lakh consumers across the Nashik zone who owe Rs 855.4 crore to the MSEDCL,” Deepak Kumthekar, chief engineer of MSEDCL, said.
With 3.18 lakh consumers owing around Rs 477 crore, the Ahmednagar circle — one of the three circles in the zone — tops the chart for maximum dues.
Nashik district is divided into two circles — Nashik and Malegaon. In Nashik circle 2.85 lakh residential consumers owe Rs 68.95 crore while over 37,000 agricultural consumers owe Rs 19.96 crore and 2,890 industrial consumers owe Rs 6.36 crore to the company. Besides there are public water supply schemes and street lights that have a total outstanding of Rs 192 core. The total outstanding in Nashik circle is Rs 288 crore.
The third circle, Malegaon, which has a total outstanding of Rs 91 crore. Of this residential consumers owe Rs 13.26 crore and the outstanding with local civic bodies is Rs 75 crore. An MSEDCL official said once consumers clear the dues, the supply is restored within 24 hours after levying reconnection charges of Rs 236.
The official pointed out that the MSEDCL had started informing the consumers about their outstanding dues and even intimating them about the delay in payment on their registered mobile numbers.
The state power utility, for the convenience of the consumers, has also started accepting payments through various online options and digital wallets. “The consumers should benefit from all these methods and use them to clear their dues and avoid inconvenience,” the official said.
