Imphal, Feb. 18: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has adopted a carrot-and-stick policy to collect power dues from consumers, including government departments. This has been necessitated by the power corporations’ threat to snap electricity connections following the government’s inability to clear its outstanding bill.
The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) recently announced that it would snap power supply to states which have failed to pay their dues. Manipur, which has few sources of power of its own, depends on electricity supplied by corporations such as Neepco and NHPC.
Appealing to consumers to clear their dues to help the government maintain regular power supply, Ibobi Singh warned that the outstanding amount of government departments would be cut at the source when funds are allocated.
On the other hand, he added that five per cent of the collected bill amount would be paid to non-governmental organisations and local clubs for collecting the dues on behalf of the government. Official sources said the amount payable to Neepco and NHPC has crossed the Rs 200-crore mark and the corporations have threatened to cut supply by March.
The two corporations have asked the state government to at least make monthly payments for power supplied. With consumers unwilling to clear bills on time, the cash-strapped Ibobi Singh government is caught in a bind. Power minister Phungzathang Tonsing said the outstanding bill payable by consumers in Manipur has crossed Rs 88 crore.