The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) has disclosed that 119 Ganesh Mandals in Pune city and its district have yet to apply for the refund of security deposits paid for temporary electricity connections granted last year. This revelation follows complaints filed by the Ganesh Mandals regarding the delayed refund process.
Rajendra Pawar, the Chief Engineer of MSEDCL for the Pune division, convened a meeting to address the issue. During the meeting, he instructed officials to expedite the security deposit refund process for Ganesh Mandals. Officials were given a two-month deadline to complete the refund process. However, it has come to light that a significant number of Ganesh Mandals have not initiated the refund request.
According to MSEDCL officials, a total of 204 Ganesh Mandals across Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Mulshi, Khed, and Maval availed temporary electricity connections in 2022. To facilitate the refund process, Ganesh Mandals are required to submit online applications and provide their bank account details. Among these, 37 Ganesh Mandals have successfully applied for a refund totaling Rs 3,02,167, and their applications have been approved. Consequently, seven Ganesh Mandals have received their refunds, while the process is currently underway for the remaining mandals. For 62 Ganesh Mandals, their security deposits were frozen as they had outstanding electricity bills amounting to Rs 4,67,785.
A sum of Rs 6,11,862 remains to be refunded to the remaining 119 Ganesh Mandals who have yet to apply for their security deposit refunds. MSEDCL officials are actively reaching out to the concerned members of these Ganesh Mandals, offering assistance with the application process. Ganesh Mandals are encouraged to visit the relevant offices to initiate their refund requests.
