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Source: Google
Arun Bothra, CEO, CESU and MD, CRUT
A no-holds-barred cop, Bothra(Revitalizing Cesu) has introduced a wave of reforms in ailing Cesu. Recently, Tata Power got the letter of intent from the Odisha government to operate in Cesu’s operational areas.
The company is acquiring a 51 percent stake in Revitalizing Cesu previously held by US major AES Ltd.
Revitalizing Cesu has many legacy hotspots that have undermined its efficiency and performance.
The electricity distribution company (discom) over the years has accumulated humongous debt, transforming into a metaphor for overstaffed yet ill-managed company.
With Bothra(Revitalizing Cesu) taking over the reins of the ailing discom the work ambiance is changing for the better and so is the consumer’s perception. Of late, Bothra has launched a zero-tolerance drive for errant consumers- both domestic and commercial.
Cesu’s consumers have been prescribed January 15 deadline clear the piled up electricity bill arrears failing which their connection will be snapped. This is undoubtedly a bold and unprecedented step that is bound to usher in reforms and long term gains for both the discom and its consumers.
The backlog from the consumers has meant that Cesu is unable to extract Rs 1971 crore of pending bills to this date.
“The financial health of Cesu is not good as it is yet to recover a huge amount of dues”, Bothra said.
As many as seven lakh consumers have not paid their bills. Of them, 92 percent are domestic consumers and around Rs, 1,023 crores are yet to be recovered from them. A total of 58,000 consumers are yet to clear dues of Rs 691 crore. Besides, 1.04 lakh consumers have not paid electricity bills for the past two years.
Cesu would intensify its drive from January 16 to disconnect power connection of those who have failed to clear the dues, said Bothra, adding that initially, consumers against whom lakhs of rupees of electricity bills are pending would face the action.
