Andhra Pradesh: Govt told to release 15,474 cr dues to Discoms

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Public Accounts Committee chairman Payyavula Keshav, at a press conference here on Friday, disclosed that the State government was asked by the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) to immediately release Rs 15,474 crore subsidy dues to Electricity Distribution Companies (Discoms). Together with the local bodies dues, the pendency amounted to more than Rs 24,000 crore, he said.

Keshav said that he had a meeting with the APERC Chairman C V Nagarjuna Reddy on November 9 to discuss the financial constraints faced by Discoms which were yet to get subsidy amounts from the State government and pending bills from the local bodies.

The APERC in the letter suggested giving a 14-day notice to the local bodies and other offices to get their dues released or face disconnection of the power supply. It apprised the Chief Secretary about the Rs 9,783 crore due from government institutions as power bills and pointed out that the very existence of the Discoms was being put in danger due to the non-payment of the same.

He asked the YSRCP government to immediately release the dues and not transfer them to the common man in the form of 'True Up' charges. The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission had permitted the Discoms two months ago to recover the 'true-up' charges amounting to Rs 3,669 crore by taking into account their financial distress.