Jal Jeevan Mission's electricity bills of Rs 48 crore pending

Lokmat News Network

Nashik, Jan 14

The rural development department of the state has ordered all the Zilla Parishads to pay the outstanding electricity bills of the electric pumps of the Gram Panchayat water supply schemes from the restricted funds of the 15th Finance Commission. After payment of these arrears of electricity bills, the way will be cleared for obtaining new electricity connections for electric pumps of water supply schemes operating under Jal Jeevan Mission.

In all, 1,385 gram panchayats in Nashik district have 1,585 connections of water supply schemes with electricity bill arrears of Rs 48 crore. As these arrears will now be paid from the 15th Finance Commission funds, the burden on Gram Panchayats has reduced. Also water testing of these water supply schemes can be done. In all, 1,222 water supply schemes have been approved in the district by the Rural Water Supply Department and the works of nearly 172 schemes have been completed, 1,018 works are in progress and 32 works are yet to be started.

Contractors are trying to get new electricity connections through Gram Panchayats since the commencement of borewell works for these schemes. So far, nearly a thousand Gram Panchayats have applied for electric pump connections. However, almost all Gram Panchayats in the district are already in arrears of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) electricity bills.

As these Gram Panchayats are not paying the arrears, the MSEDCL company has taken the position that they should first pay the arrears and then apply for connection. Sarpanch and other members of the concerned Gram Panchayats are not ready to pay the dues. Some Gram Panchayats are citing the reason of insufficient funds.

The Rural Water Supply Department had requested the State Water Supply and Sanitation Ministry to take a decision on it. Therefore, the Rural Development Department has taken a strategic decision in this regard.

The Rural Development Department has sent a letter to all the Zilla Parishads and has given permission to pay the arrears of electric pumps from the restricted funds of the 15th Finance Commission. It has also been clarified that only the payment of arrears of electric pumps is permitted and the arrears of other electricity connections cannot be paid through this fund.

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According to the letter of the Rural Development Department, the Zilla Parishad’s Gram Panchayat Department has also sent a letter to all the Gram Panchayats of the district asking them to pay these electricity bills from the funds of the 15th finance commission. Gram Panchayats in the district currently have a balance of Rs 279 crore from the 15th Finance Commission. Majority of this amount is a part of restricted funds.

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Way clear

The arrears of electricity dues will be paid to MSEDCL by the end of January. This will thus pave the way for the water supply schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission to connect bore wells to electric pumps.