Team Herald
PANJIM: Ruling out the possibility of delay payment charges waiver, the State Electricity department will seek an undertaking from the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) for payment of Rs five crore power dues of the municipal market, in installments.
Electricity department on Tuesday disconnected the power supply of municipal market for non-payment of the dues, amounting to Rs five crore, since 2003. The Corporation had urged the government for interest waiver of Rs 2.5 crore.
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said that following Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s intervention, we have decided to take an undertaking from CCP that the dues would be cleared in installments.
He, however, said that there is no possibility of waiver on delay payment charges, which are as per the guidelines laid down by the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC).
“It is not our concern, whether CCP collects rent or revenue from market vendors or not. That is not our look out. If you are using power, then you have to pay it. You just cannot stop making payment from 2003 and enjoy the facility,” Cabral said.
Cabral said that department cannot deviate from JERC regulations to give relief from delay payment. “What maximum we can do is allow CCP to make payment in installments,” he said.
Panjim Mayor Uday Madkaikar is on record to state that corporation does not collect any rent from the market vendors or shopkeepers in absence of signing lease agreement with them.
