Electricity bill defaults reach Rs 490 cr in Faridabad Circle

The outstanding power bill dues in the Faridabad circle of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) have surged to Rs 490.83 crore. Officials have intensified recovery efforts to address the mounting dues across 6.76 lakh domestic and non-domestic connections.

Breakdown of outstanding dues

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Total defaulters: 1,59,837

Dues from active connections: Rs 170.72 cr

Dues from disconnected connections: Rs 320.11 cr

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As of November 30, over one lakh active consumers owe Rs 170.72 crore, while 54,662 disconnected consumers have pending dues of Rs 320.11 crore. The total number of defaulting connections stands at 1,59,837.

Urban areas dominate the list of defaulters, with 1,59,018 domestic and industrial consumers owing Rs 468.76 crore. Government departments, including the Municipal Corporation, Police, PWD, and Irrigation, owe Rs 22.06 crore. The total outstanding amount for the same period last year was Rs 465 crore.

Officials cited litigation, untraced connections and consumers moving without address updates as reasons for delayed recoveries. Legal hurdles and the involvement of public utilities in government services have further complicated disconnection efforts.

"Persistent recovery efforts are underway. We have recovered Rs 30 crore in the past month and will intensify the drive to minimise defaults," said Jitender Singh Dhull, Superintending Engineer, DHBVN.