Govt yet to pay ₹50 cr to discoms for waiving off bills

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government’s Power Amnesty Scheme that resolved problems of overcharging or non-payment of bills is long over, but distribution companies claim they haven’t received payments promised by the government.

Government data revealed that the scheme that was open for nine months offered waivers in power bills of consumers worth a whopping ₹128 crore.

The discoms, that implemented the scheme, were supposed to get compensated for the energy charges they had waived off and this amounted to nearly ₹50 crore for all the three companies combined.

“It is seven months since the scheme got over, but we are yet to receive the money. The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) together are to get somewhere around ₹40 crore, whereas the TPDDL has to get ₹11 crore,” discom officials said.

Sources said that the file is still with power minister Satyendar Jain, who is yet to approve it.

A letter accessed by HT dated August 13, 2015 which had asked discoms to implement the scheme from August 30, 2015 read, “The discoms shall provide details of any energy dues waived as a result of the settlement scheme in the case of JJ clusters. The GNCTD will provide subsidy to the discoms on actual basis equivalent to the amount of the energy charges (exclusive LPSC) so waived.”

As many as 76,663 people had benefitted from the scheme. Although the discoms earned ₹83.22 crore through resolution of grievances, waivers given to consumers amounted to more than ₹100 crore.

Under the scheme, consumers in slum clusters were charged ₹250 per month for the period for which they had not paid their dues and had the option of paying it in instalments over six months. The late payment surcharge was also fully waived off for them. Besides, all criminal or civil proceedings against those who voluntarily disclosed having tampered with meters were withdrawn.