Date:01/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/01/stories/2006120106800300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Civic offices plunge into darkness for want of funds

Staff Reporter

Power disconnected due to pending bills

Five civic bodies owe about Rs. 1.5 crores to power distributor

Salaries not paid to their employees for last few months

ANANTAPUR: The lone municipal corporation, Anantapur, and four other municipalities -- Kadiri, Hindupur, Guntakal and Rayadurg -- in the district are groping in the dark for want of funds as the Central Power Distribution Company Limited has disconnected power supply due to huge pending bills. Together, the five civic bodies owe about Rs. 1.5 crores to the power distributor.

As a result, offices of these civic bodies including parks have plunged into darkness. The power distribution company has, for the time being, spared the streetlights and drinking water installations from the disconnection. Streetlights in Kadiri town have not been spared. Functioning of the offices of the civic bodies has become difficult in the daytime due to lack of power. The CPDCL action has not only caught the authorities and elected representatives of the civic bodies unaware but it has also caused a lot of inconvenience to the people.

Poor collections

When contacted, authorities of the Anantapur Municipal Corporation stated that they have been taking steps to clear the power bill dues regularly and the present situation has arisen out of poor collection of revenue (taxes). On the other hand, different Government departments owe about Rs. 2 crores of property tax dues to the civic body. Another Rs. 3 crores of property and water taxes were also due from the people. The civic body has never concentrated in collection of dues from the affluent sections, except taking measures for the namesake. All these civic bodies have also not paid salaries to its regular employees and contract staff for the last few months ranging from two to six months. Development works have also come to a halt due to non-payment of bills to the contractors.

Vehicles of the the Anantapur civic body, including the water tankers and garbage lifting vehicles, have also come to a grinding halt as the diesel supplier, a petrol filling station, has stopped supply of fuel as the civic body owed about Rs. 20 lakh dues to it.

The power bill dues of different civic bodies are Rs. 15.75 lakhs from Kadiri, Rs. 20 lakhs from Guntakal, Rs. 23 lakhs from Rayadurg, Rs. 20 lakhs from Hindupur and about Rs. 78 lakhs from Anantapur.