DHBVN waiver scheme in Faridabad receives lukewarm response

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, November 18

The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam’s (DHBVN) surcharge waiver scheme to recover pending electricity bills of 1.61 lakh consumers, which are worth Rs 605.46 crore, has elicited a poor response so far.

730 defaulters clear dues

• As per officials only 730 defaulters have cleared the pending dues of around Rs 3.16 crore under the ongoing Surcharge Waiver Scheme.
• Consumer can pay the dues under the scheme till November 30. There are more than 6.21 lakh connections, including 5.16 lakh domestic and 64,240 non- domestic, in Faridabad circle.

Litigation reason behind fund crunch

Litigation, untraced connections and change of address by consumers led to such a financial crisis. Supply to the government departments cannot be snapped as it will affect the basic amenities and public services. DHBVN official

The defaulters include 1.59 lakh private consumers and 1,965 government departments in the Faridabad circle. Of these, 96,217 private consumers, who are still getting power supply, have pending dues of Rs 119.85 crore as on September 30. Meanwhile, the company has snapped power connections of 62,948 private consumers, who have failed to clear dues to the tune of Rs 360.38 crore till date. The total pending amount of private consumers in undisputed cases is worth Rs 483.23 crore. As many as 603 cases, with pending amount of Rs 29.27 crore, are in various stages of arbitration in the courts.

A total of 1,965 government department consumers have also defaulted on the power bills and owe an amount of Rs 95.95 crore to the DHBVN. Of these, 1,848 consumers are still getting power supply while electricity connection of 117 government departments have been disconnected. The defaulting government departments include Municipal Corporation Faridabad, Public Health Department, Irrigation Department, HUDA (HSVP) panchayats, the police and Railways.

An official in the DHBVN said litigations, untraced connections and change of address by consumers had led to such a financial crisis. Supply to the government departments couldn’t be snapped as it would affect the basic amenities and public services, he added.

However, as per the officials only 730 defaulters have cleared a pending dues of around Rs 3.16 crore under the ongoing Surcharge Waiver Scheme. The consumer can pay the dues under the scheme till November 30. There are more than 6.21 lakh connections, including 5.16 lakh domestic and 64,240 non domestic, in Faridabad circle. The department has launched a drive to increase the recovery of pending bill amounts and snap the power supply connections of to the defaulters, said an official.