Angul: Even as power supply to private households are disconnected just for nominal outstanding, the total electricity bills outstanding against different state government offices in Angul district have exceeded Rs 2 crore.
Most office rooms of government officials in the district have air-conditioners. Electricity worth lakhs of rupees get consumed in these offices every month. The government offices concerned are least bothered about making timely payment. As a result, unpaid bills have reached this limit.
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It is alleged that neither former CESU authorities nor present Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) have shown their concern for collection of the outstanding amounts.
Worthy to note, the total outstanding amount pending on state government offices in Angul district comes to Rs 3,05,76,748, as on April 3 this year. This total amount is outstanding against 1,081 different government offices.
Precisely, Angul rural development department office has a maximum outstanding of Rs 93,72,396; followed by housing and urban development department office with Rs 56,42,805, school and mass education department office with Rs 29,50,246, panchayati raj department office with Rs 26,26,478, higher education department office with Rs 21,43,697, hospitals under health and family welfare department with Rs 21,14,450, police department office with Rs 14,14,219 and disaster management department office with Rs 12,05,164 as on date, TPCODL official sources informed.
On being contacted, TPCODL Manager Subrat Kumar Sahoo said, “We have already written letters to different government offices regarding immediate payment of outstanding amounts. Bills are being paid once during fiscal year ending in March”.
Of late, Angul Municipality has paid the maximum amount against its outstanding. Future course of action on non-payment of electricity bill is yet to be decided, Sahoo added.
PNN