With the Gruha Jyothi scheme all set to start soon, the Energy Department is now keen on recovering dues from government defaulters. According to sources in the department, in a recent meeting, Energy Minister K.J. George instructed the electricity supply companies (Escoms) to recover the dues as quickly as possible.
According to the reply to a question given by then Energy Minister V. Sunil Kumar in the Cabinet meeting last December, various government departments owe over ₹7,771 crore in dues to the five Escoms. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Department, Urban Development Department, Water Resources Department, and Minor Irrigation Department were the top defaulters to the Escoms between 2019 and September 2022, showed the data provided by Mr. Kumar in the reply.
Between 2019 and 2022, the RDPR Department owed ₹3,312 crore while the Urban Development Department owed over ₹1,200 crore towards Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) alone.
