TIRUPATI: The state government has to pay Rs 227.65 crore arrears to Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL ) as on July 31, 2011.The power company, which never thinks twice before imposing fine and disconnecting power when the common man fails to pay the electricity bill has remained a mute spectator when the government departments fail to pay the bills.When contacted about the delay in clearing the arrears, the government officials reply that the government has not sanctioned the amount or there is a paucity of funds.Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa come under the purview of the APSPDCL. The 41 municipal corporations and municipalities in these six districts owe Rs 37.04 crore to the power corporation with Kadapa Municipal Corporation topping the list of defaulters with Rs 7.05 crore followed by Nellore Municipal Corporation with Rs 6.69 crore and Pulivendula Municipality with Rs 3.13 crore arrears.It is interesting to note that seven municipal bodies (one municipal corporation and six municipalities) in Kadapa district alone have to pay Rs 14.53 crore, which is more than the combined dues of municipal bodies in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Chittoor districts (Rs 11.36 crore).On the other hand Vijayawada has paid a surplus amount of `17 lakh to the SPDCL In case of panchayats (for street lights and water works), the total arrears to be cleared stand at a staggering `142.98 crore.While Chittoor, native district of chief minister N Kirankumar Reddy has to pay `29.66 crore, followed by Nellore with `29.30 crore and Prakasam with `25.13 crore.Major quantum of the dues are from water works.When it comes to government departments, including the police department in the six districts, the arrears amount to `47.63 crore.The arrears due by various departments are agriculture `8.92 lakh, animal husbandry `52.28 lakh, education department `70.43 lakh, environment and forest Rs 34.11 lakh, finance and planning wing `0.94 lakh, general administration ` 2.25 lakh, health, medical and family welfare `629.69 lakh, home `269.38 lakh, housing `0.18 lakh, irrigation `247.88 lakh, industries and commerce `5.61 lakh, urban development authorities/ housing corporations in municipalities `4.89 lakh, labour and employment `1.59 lakh, registrar of High Court/AP Judicial Academy `9.74 lakh, panchayat raj `891.82 lakh, revenue `556.41 lakh, social welfare `374.62 lakh, transport and R&B `112.48 lakh, women development `3.98 lakh, youth and tourism `10.44 lakh, Unspecified `126.03 lakh.Only BC Welfare has paid a surplus amount of `15.92 lakh.Though the APSPDCL has sent several reminders to the departments concerned and the issue was taken to the notice of the government through the principal secretaries, the bills were yet to be cleared.''We cannot disconnect power supply to water works, irrigation, social welfare, education, hospitals.All we can do is to remind the government repeatedly and wait for it to sanction the amount and clear the dues,'' says an official.Five months ago, when power supply was disconnected to Rayachoti tahsildar for non-payment of dues, the collector intervened and asked the SPDCL to restore the power supply, but the dues are yet to be cleared.
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