GUWAHATI, June 28: Customers of Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (ADPCL) having unpaid bills in large amounts can from now onwards clear them in installments.
Unpaid bills amounting Rs 30,000 can be paid in 10 installments while bills between Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 can be paid in 15 installments.
Assam power minister Bimal Borah, while addressing mediapersons here on Monday said that the department has taken a number of reforms to revive the power sector in the state.
“In this regard, the department has decided that those who receive bills up to Rs 30,000 per month, can now pay in ten installments by taking the matter up with the assistant general manager,” he said.
“For bills amounting between Rs 30,000-50,000, consumers can now pay in 15 installments after discussions at the circle deputy general manager’s office, while those served bills over Rs 50,000 can take it up with the chief manager (commercial) at Bijuli Bhawan here to conveniently clear the amount,” the minister informed.
Meanwhile, the state power department has during the course of its ongoing drive against power thefts in the state has realised Rs 11.65 crore in as many as 124 cases of such thefts over the past few days.
“Following steps to curb power thefts, we have in this month (till June 27, 2021) collected revenue to the tune of Rs 416.66 crore. The department has taken stringent measures to recover Rs 11.65 crore in the past few days from industrial units such as Jaiswal Alloys, Shiv Alloys, Raj Lakshmi Agro, Brahmaputra Udyog and Woodcraft (Lakhimpur),” Borah revealed.
The revenue collected in February, March, April and May this year is Rs 331 crore, Rs 286 crore, Rs 276 crore and Rs 291 crore respectively.
The minister informed that a toll free number, 1912 has been created to file complaints against power thefts in the state. “The identity of the complainant will be kept confidential,” he said.
Borah further pledged that the state power department would intensify its drive to curb power thefts to augment revenue generation, ensure cent percent metering and serve bills among customers on time.
“Meter readers have been asked to ensure that every customer gets bills at home by the 10th of every month,” he said.
The minister had recently said that the department considered power theft by the people in connivance with a section of APDCL employees and officials as one of the major causes for revenue loss of the APDCL.
“The government is committed to ensuring undisrupted supply of electricity to consumers, for which it will intensify the drive against power thefts,” he reiterated.