The Times of India                02.03.2013

Discom threatens to turn off streetlights over unpaid dues

NEW DELHI: North Delhi residents may have to go without streetlights in the coming days if their discom, Tata Power-DDL (TPDDL), pulls the plug over North Delhi Municipal Corporation's failure to clear dues of Rs 45crore, pending for about two years. The discom has alerted the police, power department and the CM's office, said sources.

"Due to huge outstanding, we may have to disconnect supply of power to the North Corporation due to financial constraints," said a notice sent to the corporation and the Delhi government on February 13. The civic body was given time till February 25 to respond. But the discom decided to put the plan for disconnection on hold in the absence of North Corporation commissioner P K Gupta, who is on sick leave.

The discom says the civic body had been paying bills as per two-year-old tariffs.

"The rates have gone up by almost 80% but the North Corporation continues to pay us in accordance with the old tariff. This has led to arrears of Rs 45.03 crore," said a TPDDL spokesperson. Since September 2011, the power tariff for streetlights has increased from Rs 4.65 per unit to Rs 7.94 per unit.

Reacting to the allegations, North Delhi mayor Mira Aggarwal said that the bills are highly inflated and miscalculated. "We have been paying bills for streetlights every month.They can't just revise tariff any day and send us inflated bills."