Power bill arrears: KSEB launches new one-time settlement scheme
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has kicked off a new one-time settlement scheme (OTS-2025) for long-pending power bill arrears.
The present scheme, which will be open till July 31 this year, covers arrears older than two years but excludes theft cases booked under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003. Consumers will be eligible for reduced interest rates as per the scheme.
It offers the following interest rates—for arrears above 10 years (nil), arrears between five and 10 years (4%) and arrears above two years but below five years (6%). The consumers have the option of remitting the entire principal amount and total reduced interest in one lump sum. In such cases, a rebate of 5% on principal amount would be granted.
₹2,164.06-crore arrearsThe KSEB’s previous OTS was implemented from July 2023 to December 2023. It was later extended till March 31, 2024. That scheme yielded ₹4l .46 crore, including ₹30.58 crore in principal and ₹10.88 crore in interest. Nevertheless, Assembly documents show that power bill arrears by different categories of consumers had mounted to ₹2,164.06 crore by December 31, 2024.
In the guidelines for OTS-2025, the KSEB observed that the alarming accumulation of pending arrears has been a constant cause for concern. “A substantial share of such arrears is being held up in litigation before various courts. This in turn precipitates huge revenue arrears in the board’s accounts, which includes amounts that may be practically unrecoverable by any lawful means,” it said.
KSEB introduces OTS-2025 for power bill arrears, offering reduced interest rates and rebates for early payment. | Source: The Hindu
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