MUMBAI: Conservancy workers living in Lal Chawl 42 and 64 of Umarkhadi area in south Mumbai were plunged into darkness after BEST officials disconnected the power supply to the common areas in their building. BMC, which owns the premises, had not paid the bills for the common areas.
However, following a request for a 15-day reprieve for payment of dues, BEST restored the power supply to the colony on Wednesday.
BEST general manager Vijay Singhal, however, said: “Electricity does not come for free for BEST. We have to pay money from our kitty and purchase electricity daily before distributing it to the 10.8 lakh consumers in island city. If consumers have used the electricity, they should pay for it promptly. Else, we end up taking loans to pay for power purchases every month and this leads to bad financial conditions.”
Residents said that they pay the electricity bill for their respective flats, but since BMC is the owner of the premises, the electricity bill for the common area is paid by the civic body.
Baban More, a conservancy worker said, “With no electricity, the water pump was non functional leaving us with no water since yesterday. We had been left in a situation wherein after clearing the entire city’s garbage there was no water for us to come and take a bath.” Local Congress MLA Amin Patel said that he had intervened in the matter and taken up the issue with all the authorities. “This is unacceptable, that the country’s richest civic body is unable to pay the bill for its own conservancy workers quarters. They deserve to be given basic amenities after all the work they put in cleaning up the city,” said Patel.
BMC officials said that they had written to the BEST requesting them to restore electricity. “There was an issue with funds owing to which the electricity got disconnected,” said an officer requesting anonymity. Sources said that BEST has pending electricity arrears in various government and BMC departments in the range of Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore for the past few years.
However, following a request for a 15-day reprieve for payment of dues, BEST restored the power supply to the colony on Wednesday.
BEST general manager Vijay Singhal, however, said: “Electricity does not come for free for BEST. We have to pay money from our kitty and purchase electricity daily before distributing it to the 10.8 lakh consumers in island city. If consumers have used the electricity, they should pay for it promptly. Else, we end up taking loans to pay for power purchases every month and this leads to bad financial conditions.”
Residents said that they pay the electricity bill for their respective flats, but since BMC is the owner of the premises, the electricity bill for the common area is paid by the civic body.
Baban More, a conservancy worker said, “With no electricity, the water pump was non functional leaving us with no water since yesterday. We had been left in a situation wherein after clearing the entire city’s garbage there was no water for us to come and take a bath.” Local Congress MLA Amin Patel said that he had intervened in the matter and taken up the issue with all the authorities. “This is unacceptable, that the country’s richest civic body is unable to pay the bill for its own conservancy workers quarters. They deserve to be given basic amenities after all the work they put in cleaning up the city,” said Patel.
BMC officials said that they had written to the BEST requesting them to restore electricity. “There was an issue with funds owing to which the electricity got disconnected,” said an officer requesting anonymity. Sources said that BEST has pending electricity arrears in various government and BMC departments in the range of Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore for the past few years.
