Electricity Bill Waiver Scheme extended

Chandigarh, Dec 8 (UNI) The Haryana Power Distribution Corporations have extended the period giving chance of availing the benefit of Electricity Bills Waiver Scheme to the dropout defaulter domestic and tubewell consumers of rural areas to avoid disconnections. The defaulter consumers can now deposit their current bills by December 31.

A spokesman for the power utilities said here today that two more consumer friendly schemes of the Nigams viz Surcharge Waiver Scheme in urban areas and VDS for declaration of unauthorised extension of load would also be operative upto December 31.

The spokesman said that the chance under the Bill Waiver Scheme had been given to those consumers who had deposited at least one current bill during the period from June 16, 2005 to May 31, 2007.

The willing consumers would be required to deposit the outstanding amount in lump-sum. He clarified that no fresh consumer would be allowed to opt for the scheme now.

"The decision of giving the last chance has been taken keeping in view that many consumers had initially opted for the scheme and deposited one or more installments. They were now willing to deposit the unpaid amount without surcharge to avoid disconnections as the Nigams had intensified the disconnection campaign against the non payers," the spokesman said.

He said that the power distribution corporations had also decided to give one more chance to the defaulting consumers of domestic category of urban areas to avail the benefit of surcharge waiver scheme by extending the scheme up to December 31.

The benefit of the scheme would be available to those non payers who had been defaulters on March 31, 2007 and continued as such. The scheme would also be available to both connected and disconnected consumers.

Cent per cent surcharge would be waived off on liquidation of outstanding principal amount in lump-sum or six equal monthly installments and the non payer is required to ensure that there is no default in payment of current bills. The facility of reconnection would also be made available as per Nigam's instructions. The scheme would not be available to the consumers whose court cases are pending.

UNI