Non-payment of power bills a major problem for Tripura State Electricity Corporation

Out of total 6,00,128 consumers, only 2,39,289 consumers have paid electricity bills in June which comes to around 39.87 per cent, said an official from Tripura State Electricity Corporation.

Agartala: Non-payment of electricity bills by consumers on time is a major cause of concern for Tripura State Electricity Corporation (TSECL), an official said on Saturday.

Out of total 6,00,128 consumers, only 2,39,289 consumers have paid electricity bills in June which comes to around 39.87 per cent, the official said.

Despite disconnection of over 80,000 electricity connections for default in payment, only 796 defaulters have made payment against pending electricity in June, he said.

"The pending electricity bills of consumers have become a huge burden for the state electricity utility. Around 40 per cent of the total consumers have paid electricity bills while the remaining families did not make payment in June," managing director, TSECL, Biswajit Basu told PTI.

He said several steps including disconnection of electricity connections have been taken to improve bill collection but there has been no major change in the system as consumers usually try to skip timely payment leading to pressure on the TSECL's financial health.

"We are working on how to encourage the consumers to ensure timely payment of bills. TSECL can't force any customers to pay the bills. Chief Minister Manik Saha is scheduled to hold a meeting to review the activities and future plan of the power sector on Monday. Hope this issue will come up for discussion in the meeting," he said.