How did unpaid electricity bills in Bhopal city alone cross 100 cr?

Time of India

04-06-2025

Bhopal: There are at least 86 domestic consumers in the city who owe more than Rs 1 lakh each in outstanding electricity bills. The consumer with the highest outstanding amount owes more than Rs 4.2 lakh.
Overall, the amount that remains outstanding with these 86 domestic consumers ranges between Rs 4.2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh. If the overall amount of unpaid bills is considered and calculated, it comes to more than Rs 100 crores in Bhopal city alone.
The question that remains unanswered is how outstanding amounts in the city reached such high levels when the connection of a normal domestic consumer is typically disconnected if the outstanding amount is above Rs 5000.
Sources from the discom say that the majority of these consumers, who have outstanding amounts above Rs 1 lakh, have some form of dispute, and in many cases, the matter is also sub-judice.
For instance, in the case of the consumer with the highest outstanding amount, it is the domestic connection of a colony that comes under the Katara Hills distribution office of the discom. Sources said that this consumer has been paying regular bills, but a disputed amount of around Rs 4.15 lakh has been due for several years, as the matter related to it is in court.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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TOI also checked the current bill of the consumer, which states that the current month's bill amount is Rs 2246, the delayed payment surcharge is Rs 5199, and old arrears are Rs 4,15,881, making the overall amount payable Rs 4,21,079.
This means that the connection is still active, and the consumer is paying month on month, only the old arrear is not being paid. After the list of those who have outstanding amounts of more than Rs 1 lakh, comes the category of those consumers who have outstanding amounts between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh—overall, there are 16,681 such consumers.
The consumer with the maximum outstanding amount in this category owes Rs 99,797, and the consumer with the lowest outstanding amount in this category owes Rs 10,001. Besides these, there are 19,704 consumers who have an outstanding between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to the discom. This amount is as of June 2, 2025.