Alipurduar, April 6 -- Various government departments in Alipurduar district have cleared outstanding electricity bills totaling Rs 2.60 crore, providing much-needed relief to the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (WBSEDCL).
At the start of the current financial year, the power distribution corporation faced significant challenges in maintaining uninterrupted electricity services across government offices. The accumulation of unpaid bills from several departments, including general administration, police, education, forest and ICDS, had caused mounting pressure on WBSEDCL's operations.
The situation became critical by the end of March. Despite the urgency, the district administration initially failed to present a concrete plan to resolve the issue. The corporation feared that if dues were not cleared by March 31, the delay could affect electricity supply to several essential services.
Speaking on the matter, Partha Pratim Mandal, Regional Manager of WBSEDCL Alipurduar, said: "Even after March 31, our dues from various departments amounted to Rs 2.60 crore. In previous years, we would receive payments by early March, but this time, the delay created serious concerns. Contractors had also been pressuring us for their pending payments."
The delay in payment of outstanding bills forced the corporation to take strict measures, including disconnecting the power supply to several government institutions, including schools. "Though we were deeply concerned about student suffering during the rising heat, we had no option. We had requested all departments to clear their dues promptly or face widespread disruption in power supply," Mandal added. Eventually, with a year-end extension in place, all departments settled their outstanding bills by April 5. Power has since been restored in affected areas such as Sikia Jhora Eco-Park, and restoration work is ongoing in other locations.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.