Pay bills or face disconnection: MD KPDCL

Srinagar, Jan 10: Managing Director (MD), Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Mussarat Islam, Wednesday urged consumers to clear their outstanding balance on account of electricity dues, failing which KPDCL would be left with no option but to further accelerate its disconnection drives as warranted under Section 56 of the Electricity Act.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the MD KPDCL said that smart meter consumers with arrears were being automatically disconnected if they did not pay their pending power bills.

Expressing serious concern over huge default figures in domestic, commercial, and industrial categories, he said that revenue realised on account of clearance of pending bills would enable KPDCL to have enough resource availability for power purchase which would be critical for providing reliable supply.

The MD KPDCL said that huge default figures were taking a toll on the financial health of the corporation as it would impact the fund flow under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), which was aimed at transforming the LT Distribution Network in the Kashmir division.

Seeking the cooperation of all consumers in clearing dues, he said that keeping in view the compulsion for the realisation of arrears, the KPDCL had passed directions to all 19 electric divisions to accelerate disconnection drives of defaulter consumers who were reluctant to pay their energy dues on time.