Team Herald
PANJIM: It was dark, grimy and sweaty at most areas in Panjim market “thanks” to the Electricity Department on Monday which disconnected power supply to the Panjim Municipal Market over Corporation of the City of Panaji’s (CCP) failure to pay the pending power dues of over Rs 3 crore.
However, the department has disconnected power supply to the public space of which the connection is in the name of CCP and power continues to reach all other shops that have individual meters.
Speaking to Herald, Electricity Department, Executive Engineer, Paul Fernandes said, “Today we have disconnected power supply to the main hall of the Panjim market however individual shops will continue to get supply as they have individual meters. The CCP owes the department a total of Rs 3.12 crores and till that amount is paid power supply will not be restored.”
“We had issued several notices to the CCP and even extended the period days but till now they have failed. The CCP also had said in the middle that bill is in the name of GSIDC as they said that they had applied for the connection. The complex was built in 2014 by the GSIDC and then later handed over to the CCP” said Fernandes.
The notice which had been sent to the CCP Commissioner on February 8 states that “It is very much regretted to inform that the energy bill pertaining to the above mentioned installation (Panaji Municipal Market) has not been paid till date and as such the total amount including arrears accumulated to the tune of Rs 3, 12, 28,309 as on 6/2/2017.”
“To clear the same within seven days of receipt of this notice failing which the power supply to the installation will be disconnected without any further notice” the notice stated.
Further as per the records it was revealed that since 2015, the unpaid dues for the electricity charges amounted to Rs 1.5 crore and has now reached to a whopping 3.12 crore.
As Herald spoke to some vendors at the market it was revealed that the electricity was disconnected since morning and that all vendors who do not have electrical connections especially those vendors who sell their produce on platforms are to suffer.
“The lights were disconnected yesterday also but after an hour it was restored but today the electricity have been disconnected since morning and we have come to know that the CCP has not paid the money. We are not totally in darkness but the effect is felt as it gets into evening. Now the area is dull but fully not dark as we have lights coming from neighbouring shops” said a vegetable vendor
When asked about the situation and whether the CCP will pay the outstanding amount, CCP Commissioner Dipak Desai said “We had received the notices from the electricity department over non-payment of power bills. We had sought some more time from them as we were unable to pay the amount”
