The Great Divide: Two Rules for One State? ⚖️
In the Khairagarh division of Chhattisgarh, a startling reality has come to light regarding the recovery of electricity dues. While the meters spin at the same speed for every building, the enforcement of payment rules appears to vary drastically depending on who owns the property.
On one hand, the common consumer is under constant surveillance. A delay of just one or two months in payment results in an immediate “cut-off” notice, followed by technical teams physically disconnecting the service. On the other hand, 50 government departments in the region have managed to accumulate a staggering debt of over ₹20 crore, yet their lights remain on, and their operations continue uninterrupted.
📊 By the Numbers: Public vs. Government Dues
The scale of this imbalance is best understood through a direct comparison of the Khairagarh division’s ledger:
- Government Departments: ~50 offices owe ₹20.15 Crore.
- Private Consumers: ~33,000 households/businesses owe ₹4.20 Crore.
Despite the fact that government debt is nearly five times higher than the combined debt of 33,000 citizens, the “strictness” of the electricity department is almost exclusively reserved for the latter.
Table of Contents
🏢 Departmental Breakdown: Who Owes What? 📉
The “defaulter list” reads like a directory of the state administration. The largest share of unpaid bills belongs to departments responsible for public welfare and infrastructure.
🏘️ Panchayat and Rural Development (The Top Defaulter)
The Panchayat and Rural Development Department holds the dubious distinction of being the largest debtor, with an outstanding balance of approximately ₹10.50 crore. Much of this is attributed to rural water supply schemes and street lighting, where the gap between budget allocation and actual payment has widened over the years.
🏙️ Urban Administration and Local Bodies
Municipal corporations and nagar panchayats are not far behind. Collectively, they owe roughly ₹8.33 crore. This includes electricity used for water filtration plants, administrative offices, and public parks.
🏥 Essential Services in Debt
Perhaps most concerning is the inclusion of departments that provide critical services:
- Health Department: Owing lakhs in unpaid bills for hospitals and clinics.
- Education Department: Unpaid dues for government schools and hostels.
- Women and Child Development: Arrears related to Anganwadi centers.
- Forest & Water Resources: Significant pending amounts for departmental offices and irrigation infrastructure.
🔄 The Cycle of “Paper Notices” and No Action 📝
When questioned about why these departments haven’t been disconnected, CSPDCL officials maintain that they are following “procedure.” This procedure, however, seems to be an endless loop of correspondence that yields no financial results.
According to departmental sources, the power company regularly sends:
- Monthly Demand Notices: Formal requests for payment.
- D.O. (Demi-Official) Letters: Correspondence between high-ranking officials.
- Budgetary Requests: Asking departments to prioritize electricity dues in their next fiscal allocation.
Despite these efforts, the recovery rate has been abysmal over the last 12 months. Critics argue that because these are “essential services,” the power company is hesitant to cut off the supply, fearing public backlash or administrative friction. However, this leniency creates a fiscal hole that the utility company often tries to fill by being aggressive with private citizens.
💡 The Impact on the Common Man 👤
For a middle-class family or a small shopkeeper in Chhattisgarh, an electricity bill isn’t just a piece of paper—it’s a monthly deadline that carries the threat of darkness.
🚫 The “Instant Disconnection” Policy
If a regular consumer fails to pay a bill of even ₹2,000 for two consecutive months, a lineman is dispatched to disconnect the service. Reconnection involves not just paying the original bill, but also:
- Late Payment Surcharge (LPS)
- Reconnection Fees
- Security Deposit Adjustments
📢 Public Outcry and Fairness
The residents of Khairagarh are increasingly vocal about this injustice. “If I don’t pay for 60 days, my kids have to study in the dark,” says Rajesh Kumar, a local resident. “But the government office next door hasn’t paid in 600 days, and their ACs are still running. Is the law only for us?”
🔍 Deep Dive: Why is Government Debt Accumulating? 🧐
To understand why government departments are such poor paymasters, one must look at the structural flaws in state budgeting.
- Lack of Specific Budget Heads: Often, offices receive funds for salaries and projects, but the “utility” budget is insufficient or overlooked.
- The “Inter-Departmental” Trap: Some departments argue that they provide services to the power company (like land or permissions) and try to “offset” the costs, leading to accounting deadlocks.
- Zero Accountability: Unlike a private citizen who faces personal consequences, a government official faces no personal penalty if their office bill goes unpaid.
🛠️ Proposed Solutions: How to Fix the Crisis? 🚀
To ensure a fair and functioning power sector in Chhattisgarh, experts suggest several “hard” measures:
- Prepaid Smart Meters for Offices: Just as the government is pushing smart meters for citizens, all government offices should be put on a “pay-as-you-go” system. No balance, no power.
- Deduction at Source: The State Treasury could directly deduct electricity dues from a department’s annual budget and transfer them to CSPDCL.
- Public Disclosure: Publishing the names of the top 10 defaulting offices every month to create “administrative shame.”
📈 Economic Consequences for CSPDCL 💸
The massive ₹20 crore hole in Khairagarh alone is a microcosm of a larger state-wide problem. When power companies don’t recover dues, it leads to:
- Higher Tariffs: To cover losses, the power company petitions the regulatory commission to increase rates for paying customers.
- Poor Maintenance: Lack of funds leads to delayed repairs of transformers and lines, causing power cuts.
- Increased Debt: The utility company has to borrow money to buy power from generators, leading to high interest costs.
🏛️ Administrative Silence and Future Outlook 📅
As of now, the Khairagarh administration and the electricity department are caught in a stalemate. While notices continue to be printed and mailed, the “common man” continues to bear the brunt of strict enforcement.
The question remains: Will the Chhattisgarh government lead by example and clear its own debts, or will it continue to pull the plug on its citizens while keeping its own offices bright?
❓ Frequently Asked Questions.
Q1: What is the total amount owed by government departments in Khairagarh? The total outstanding amount exceeds ₹20 crore across approximately 50 departments.
Q2: Which department is the biggest defaulter? The Panchayat and Rural Development Department is the top defaulter with over ₹10.50 crore in unpaid bills.
Q3: How much do private consumers owe in comparison? About 33,000 private consumers owe a combined total of roughly ₹4.20 crore, which is significantly less than the government debt.
Q4: Does the electricity department disconnect government offices? Rarely. While they issue notices, they seldom disconnect essential government services, unlike private residences which are disconnected promptly.
Q5: What happens if a common citizen doesn’t pay their bill? A consumer usually receives a grace period, after which a disconnection notice is issued. If payment is still not made, the power supply is physically cut off.
📝 Conclusion
The situation in Chhattisgarh highlights a glaring double standard in governance. While the CSPDCL is technically a commercial entity that needs revenue to survive, its lopsided enforcement policy—punishing the poor for minor debts while ignoring the crores owed by the state—erodes public trust. For a truly “Digital India” and a self-reliant Chhattisgarh, the government must first learn to pay its own bills. Until the “One Nation, One Rule” philosophy is applied to electricity recovery, the common man will continue to feel like a second-class citizen in the eyes of the power grid.
External Source: Patrika Report
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