Pay your electricity bills, BEST tells BMC

BMC

The battle lines are set and the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has made its move. After the civic body demanded that the Undertaking repay pending loans to the tune of Rs 700 crore at an interest of 10 per cent, the BEST has started calculating the arrears in electricity bills pending from the BMC. Sources said that of the total Rs 38.38 crore that the government agencies owe through non-payment of electricity bills, the BMC owes the Undertaking Rs 11.38 crore.

This is also an endeavour by the Undertaking to recover and generate as much earning and revenue as possible to get out of the financial turmoil. There are 71 different offices of BMC across various municipal wards, which have not paid their electricity bills for years now. Sources said that, usually, the BEST accepts electricity bills as arrears accrued over years together. But, following the civic body's strict conduct with it, the BEST has decided to make the BMC pay up too. The BEST's pending loans are part of the total amount of Rs 1,600 crore given by the BMC to the Undertaking, over the years.

Now, the Undertaking has identified nine BMC wards that have not paid the arrears in electricity bills. The F-North ward - comprising Matunga (E), Sion, King Circle, Wadala and parts of Dadar - has the maximum dues with 33 cases, amounting to R6 crore. The C ward - comprising Mumbadevi, Chandanwadi, Bhule-shwar and Dhobi Talao - has the least dues, R8 lakh, with only one pending case of non-payment.

"The BEST needs to recover every rupee to repay the loan. So, we are collecting the unpaid electricity charges too," BMC leader of Opposition Ravi Raja said. The BEST needs to recover Rs 80 crore from various offices of the Central and state governments, BMC and non-governmental offices, in electricity dues.