Bagh (Dhar district): Madhya Pradesh West Zone Electricity Distribution Company (west discom) has cut power connection of Bagh village panchayat, which has not paid electricity bills in last 15 months. The bills’ total amount is more than Rs 40 lakh.
As the power supply has been snapped, Bagh is spending nights in dark for last five days as street lights can’t be lit. On December 25, the west discom even cut connection for water supply. The discom resumed it after elected representatives intervened.
West discom junior engineer Lokendra Patel said more than Rs 40 lakh are to be recovered from the village panchayat as no amount was deposited in last few months. “We restarted energy supply keeping the basic needs of people in mind,” he added.
When contacted, Bagh village panchayat sarpanch Vikas Davar said electricity bill amount for water supply is directly credited in the account of west discom. “But since the government has changed, the electricity bill has not been paid. 50 per cent of electricity bill amount of street lights is also paid by government and that too has not been paid since a year,” Davar said. “He said solution will be found soon by drawing attention of senior officials,” he added.
Superintending engineer Kankhare said water supply electricity bill is paid by the government but to clear the bill for street lights, the panchayat has to recover taxes and submit the amount.
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