Pune: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) is grappling with financial strain as outstanding electricity bills from government offices soar to an alarming Rs 23 crores. The accrued arrears, primarily from the Police Department and Zilla Parishad in Western Maharashtra, are creating financial challenges for MSEDCL.
In Western Maharashtra, the outstanding electricity bills of 7365 different offices have reached a staggering Rs 21 crore 40 lakhs. Additionally, the arrears from 1392 offices of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations have surged to Rs 1 crore 73 lakh 50 thousand.
An official statement from MSEDCL reveals that Pune Regional Director Ankush Nale has urgently requested action from the Commissioner of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad of West Maharashtra, the Police Commissioner, and the Superintendent of Police. The letter includes a list of offices with outstanding bills, emphasizing the need for immediate settlement.
The non-payment trend extends beyond government offices, as monthly electricity bills from domestic, commercial, and industrial consumers in Western Maharashtra have accumulated arrears over the past few months. Currently, 17 lakh 85 thousand electricity consumers in these categories owe Rs 332 crore 79 lakh.
To recover these arrears, Mahavitaran has initiated a campaign to disconnect power supply, targeting the government offices with the highest outstanding bills. Mahavitaran is actively pursuing these offices for payment, with a warning that failure to settle the dues may result in power supply interruptions.
In Pune district alone, 4 thousand 348 government offices have arrears of Rs 8 crore 57 lakh. The outstanding amounts include 63 lakh owed by 552 offices of Pune Municipal Corporation, 1 crore 11 lakh by 840 offices of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, 5 crore 58 lakh by 1913 offices of Pune District Council, and 1 crore 25 lakh by 1043 offices of Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad City, and Pune Rural Police Department.
Similar situations are observed in other districts, further exacerbating the financial strain. In Satara district, 1393 government offices owe Rs 2 crore 11 lakh, including Rs 1 crore 97 lakh for 1285 offices of Satara Zilla Parishad and Rs 13 lakh for 108 offices of the District Police Department. Meanwhile, in Solapur district, 1621 offices of Solapur Zilla Parishad and 85 offices of the District Police Department collectively owe Rs 4 crore 93 lakh.
Sangli and Kolhapur districts also face challenges, with 892 offices of Sangli Zilla Parishad owing Rs 2 crore 9 lakhs and 219 offices of the Police Department owing Rs 1.8 lakh, totaling Rs 2 crore 27 lakhs in arrears. In Kolhapur district, 146 offices of Kolhapur Zilla Parishad owe Rs 5 crore 19 lakhs, and 53 offices of the District Police Department owe Rs 6 lakhs, resulting in a total outstanding amount of Rs 5 crore 26 lakhs.
Government offices in these districts are charged electricity tariffs by Mahavitaran under the public service category, with rates similar to domestic rates or lower, depending on the slab. Despite funds allocated in annual budgets for electricity bill payments, the increasing arrears in Western Maharashtra pose a significant challenge.
