SHILLONG, April 14: The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has instructed all engineers of MePDCL, the power distribution wing, to recover about Rs. 600-crore in dues from defaulting consumers within two months.
The instruction to the distribution and revenue engineers has come with a rider: they will be held responsible for alleged inefficiency if they fail to recover the dues.
A letter from MeECL Chairman-Managing Director Arunkumar Kembhavi said the corporation has not been able to recover Rs. 600-crore as on March 31, 2021, and the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC) has treated this amount as the income of the corporation and refused to pass it on as tariff.
According to the letter, all defaulters were asked to clear the entire amount within 15 days of the issuance of a public. Part-payment was disallowed.
“You are to disconnect the defaulters’ connection for all categories of consumers starting from April 16 and ensure recovery of the full amount within two months. You shall start the disconnection of the consumers from highest to lowest dues,” the CMD said in the letter.
The letter further stated that “defaulting consumers” shall mean and include the live consumers and disconnected consumers who have managed to obtain the new power connection for the same premises with the same existing consumer name or in the name of other family members.
“The legal proceedings against the disconnected consumers with single connection are being initiated from the headquarters of MeECL,” the letter said.