Bill defaulters to lose connection within 7 days

Hisar, Oct 20 (UNI) Haryana Power Transmission and Distribution Corporations today warned about 4.50 lakh defaulting consumers in Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) area to pay up the dues within stipulated period or face disconnection.

Expressing concern over the large number of defaulters, Lt General (Retd) O S Lohchab, Chairman HPTDC directed the officers engaged in operation wing that in case any consumer failed to pay his electricity bill in time, his connection should be cut immediately after giving seven days notice.

General Lohchab, while addressing DHBVN officers in a review meeting of revenue realisation, asked the officers to launch a massive campaign of disconnection on account of non-payment of bills.

The field officers were given targets of disconnecting the non-paying consumers within a month and asked to raise special recovery teams in their areas.

Outsourcing for defaulting amount collection would also be allowed by the Nigam, they were told.

The Chairman directed that for the first time defaulter consumer, the disconnection should be from the pole. For the second time defaulter, cable and energy metre be removed. And, in case a consumer is defaulter for third cycle, the whole electrical system meant for the consumer may be removed.

He said the electricity bills waiver scheme had evoked a good response in DHBVN area. Out of total 6.23 lakh non-paying consumers, as on June 16, 2005 when the scheme was launched, more than 4.03 lakh had opted for the scheme and started paying their current bills regularly.

Thus, about 65 per cent of the defaulting consumers have started paying their bills regularly. The number of defaulter tubewell consumers was 1.05 lakh, out of which over 85 thousand have started paying their bills regularly. Their percentage worked out to be 81.26.

He asked the officers to remove the lines, poles, transformers of those agricultural consumers who did not opt for the scheme and those who have been disconnected permanently on account of non-payment of bills for long time.

He ordered to issue bills to all industrial consumers before 15th day of every month and said there should be zero number of connected defaulter industrial consumers after a period of one month.

DHBVN Managing Director Vijayendra Kumar said the Nigam was planning to create one revenue protection sub-division in each operation circle and complete record and working in all sub-divisions.

He said the system Automatic Metre Reading (AMR) was likely to be introduced in DHBVN area in phased manner. He directed the officers to release connections from junction boxes so that illegal consumer could be identified.

He ordered that senior officers should also take metre readings randomly to counter check the accuracy of the reading.

He said the Nigam has disconnected about 21,000 connections of defaulter consumers during July and August.

The meeting was attended by all directors, chief general managers, general managers and deputy general managers of the Nigam.

UNI