Pay due bills or have power lines disconnected: Power Division to city corporations

Power Division or any distributing entity will not take responsibility if any accident occurs when city corporations or municipalities illegally connect their networks to electricity lines.

Such a warning was issued by the power division through a Facebook post Thursday, mentioning an incident in the West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDC) area.  

The post said that WZPDC served a notice on 7 September to city corporations and municipalities under its areas to pay due electricity bills by 18 September. If city corporations fail to do so, WZPDC would disconnect power lines as per Article 18 (1) of the Electricity Act 2018.

Following the WZPDC notice, 75 connections of those city corporations and municipalities, which failed to pay due bills within the stipulated time frame, were disconnected.

Tk3.34 crore was realised as due bills from 16 city corporations and municipalities.

However, it is being observed with great concern that some of the city corporations and municipalities are reconnecting their networks illegally with the power lines without communicating with WZPDC, the distribution company noted.

"During these reconnections, if any accident occurs, the Power Division or its distribution company will not take responsibility," said the Power Division.

"Legal action will be taken against such illegal and unlawful reconnections of power lines without paying the outstanding bills," it noted.

The Power Division also mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 1 June to disconnect power lines if any customer does not pay the outstanding electricity bill even after receiving a notice.

Following the directive, all distribution companies under the Power Division were instructed to take necessary measures by issuing notices to the consumers having due electricity bills.