Electricity regulatory body asks UT administration to act against defaulters

CHANDIGARH: The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has directed the UT Administration to take strict action against bill defaulters.

Requesting anonymity, a senior UT official said that commission regularly issues such directions. They have already started drive against defaulters and it will be intensified in the coming days. The department is disconnecting the power supply of defaulting consumers as per Section 56 of the Electricity Act, 2003, he added.

The JERC had already accepted UT’s plea of slapping late power payment surcharge at 24% per annum, which was earlier 18%, on defaulters.

As per the latest list of defaulters, compiled by the UT Electricity Department, there are total 270 defaulters, who owe over Rs 10 crore to the department. The list of defaulters include government offices as well as residential and commercial buildings.

The power department caters to 2.12 lakh consumers, of whom 1.75 lakh are in the domestic category. Of the total, there is regular billing of around 94% of the consumers.