The cash-strapped Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) will take a loan to repay dues worth Rs 561.58 crore to Tata Power.
According to the Hindustan Times, Tata Power had sent a notice to BEST on May 14, which stated that if BEST failed to repay the dues by May 21, it would divert power supply from the same day for the latter’s consumers. RJ Singh, BEST’s deputy general manager told the leading daily, “We have written to Tata Power to not re-direct the power supply and also told them that the first installment of the pending amount will be paid in the next couple of days. The total amount will be paid subsequently.” BEST officials did not reveal the loan amount.
As per Tata Power’s notice, BEST is yet to release payments from December to April. During a committee meeting, BEST’s committee members, including those from the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance, walked out of the meeting. Anil Kokil, a committee member from the Shiv Sena told the Hindustan Times, “The payment has been pending for five months, but the committee was not informed that BEST is not in the condition to repay it. Tomorrow, if there is no electricity in the city, we will be blamed. This is a deliberate attempt to put the blame on the committee.”