STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam State Electricity Supply Workers' Union has appealed to power consumers across the State to pay their electricity bills on time in order to streamline the power distribution system.
In a press conference in the city on Monday, Union general secretary Nayanjyoti Chakraborty said that 92 per cent power consumers in the State were domestic users. "The revenue generated from payment of bills by domestic consumers is not satisfactory. Almost 55 per cent of the domestic consumers do not pay their bills on time. The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has to procure around 80 per cent power from outside in order to meet the State's power requirement. APDCL has to pay the PSUs selling electricity on time. Unless consumers pay their bills on time, providing uninterrupted power supply will prove to be a big challenge for APDCL," said Chakraborty.
He also expressed concern over power theft. "The State loses revenue every month due to power theft. A large number of cases of power theft by commercial consumers in the industry sector have come to light. We condemn those who are resorting to such illegal means and thereby causing loss to the power department. A strong public opinion must be created in this regard. People must realize that they will have to bear the brunt when APDCL suffers loss due to power theft by defaulting consumers. So such consumers, especially the commercial consumers, who adopt fraudulent means must be socially isolated," he said.
Chakraborty added that to stop power theft in rural areas, awareness must be created among the rural power consumers.
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