Bengaluru: Minister for Energy D K Shivakumar on Tuesday ruled out waiver of power bills due from gram panchayats in the state.
Replying to a query from Kota Srinivasa Poojary in the Legislative Council, Minister Shivakumar said the gram panchayat owe to the government to the tune of Rs 3,767 crore. “The gram panchayats have to pay the power bills due to the government. We will decided what to do after the gram panchayats pay the dues of power bills,’’ the minister said.
Stating that government has not proposed to waive off the power bills due from gram panchayats, the minister said the state government has released 25 per cent of the amount paid by the gram panchayats. “Since the energy department has to purchase electricity from various sources, the gram panchayats have to clear the dues of power bills. There is no other option,” the minister said.
He said that some gram panchayats in the jurisdiction of Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited and Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited have cleared the dues of power bills.