Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Supreme Court has upheld that electricity distribution companies can recover unpaid electricity bills from new property owners, even if the ownership has changed. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has instructed its employees to collect any outstanding dues from new owners when properties are sold, particularly if the previous owner has unpaid bills.
MSEDCL also introduced the "Abhay Yojana" for customers with permanently disconnected (P.D.) connections to clear outstanding bills without interest and penalties. This scheme is open until March 31, 2025 and MSEDCL encourages eligible customers to use it to avoid further action. If there are unpaid bills on a property, and it is sold, the new owner must settle the dues before a new electricity connection can be granted. MSEDCL’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has disconnected electricity to over 3.23 lakh customers due to outstanding bills, totaling Rs 571.63 crore. A verification campaign is underway to recover these dues from the new property owners. Property buyers are advised to ensure there are no outstanding electricity bills before purchasing a property, as new connections will not be granted unless the dues are cleared, said Pavankumar Kachhot, Chief Engineer, MSEDCL, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division.