Haryana launches waiver scheme to restore power connections

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, October 13

As many as 24,085 domestic, commercial, industrial and agriculture electricity consumers in the Rohtak circle have defaulted on their bill payment and owe Rs 171 crore to the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN).

The electricity connection of all these consumers has been snapped for the non-payment of bills, but the nigam authorities have now launched a special campaign to restore their connections by offering them a surcharge waiver scheme.

“Of the 24,085 consumers, 18,245 belong to domestic, 5,284 to commercial, 442 to industrial and 114 to agricultural category. Of the total amount, Rs 142 crore dues are owed by domestic consumers, Rs 21 crore by commercial, Rs 6 crore by industrial and Rs 1 crore by agricultural consumers. Many industrial and commercial consumers could not pay the bills due to closure of their units owing to the pandemic,” said sources, adding that some domestic connections were also snapped due to the same reason.

Sources maintained that connections of such consumers were snapped after they failed to pay more than two bills despite being served notices for the same.

UHBVN authorities had now started serving notices on such commercial and industrial consumers, asking them to get their connections restored by making the due payment without surcharge, the sources said.

Ashok Kumar Yadav, Superintending Engineer, UHBVN, Rohtak, confirmed that efforts were underway to recover dues from such consumers whose connections were cut by June 30 due to non-payment.

They had been offered a surcharge waiver scheme which is applicable up to November 30.

“We have given multiple options to such consumers to pay the pending amount. They can pay the entire amount without any surcharge or 25 per cent of original amount at a time and the balance in six instalments to get their power connection restored,” the SE said.

Yadav maintained that help of the gram panchayat concerned was also being taken to inform consumers in villages for availing the scheme.

Another official said: “We are quite hopeful about the recovery of a good amount this time as consumers are recovering from financial losses caused by Covid in the past two years.”

Who owes how much

• Of the 24,085 consumers, 18,245 belong to domestic, 5,284 to commercial, 442 to industrial and 114 to agricultural category
• Of the total amount, Rs142 cr dues are owed by domestic consumers, Rs21 cr by commercial, Rs6 cr by industrial and Rs1 cr by agricultural consumers

Hope of recovery

We are quite hopeful about the recovery of a good amount this time as consumers are recovering from financial losses caused by Covid in the past two years. Official, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN)

Many payment options

We have given multiple options to consumers to pay the pending amount. They can pay the entire amount without any surcharge or 25% of the original amount at a time. Ashok Kumar Yadav, superintending engineer, UHBVN