<p>An ongoing government survey has found thousands of electricity connections powering streetlights and supply of water in rural areas of Bengaluru and eight other districts to be either defunct, unauthorised or unmetered. </p>.<p>The survey is being done as part of the government’s plan to implement e-Belaku, an online application that aims at streamlining electricity bill payments by gram panchayats. </p>.<p>Gram panchayats owe electricity supply companies over Rs 4,229.60 crore in the form of pending bills.</p>.<p>The amount has accumulated over several years with officials failing to report defunct connections. </p>.<p>To bring some order to this chaos, the government had to first get data on existing electricity connections for streetlights and water supply units, mainly borewells. </p>.<p>There are 83,429 RR (revenue register) numbers in nine districts for which Bescom provides electricity - Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere and Vijayanagara. Every electricity connection is identified with an RR number. </p>.<p>At least 9,647 RR numbers are not functional, the survey has found so far. Also, 9,058 RR numbers do not have a meter while 5,005 have meters that are not working. </p>.<p>These numbers may go up as the survey progresses. </p>.<p>“We are taking up a survey to identify connections without meters, with defunct pumps and with malfunctioning meters,” Additional Chief Secretary (Rural Development & Panchayat Raj) L K Atheeq told <span class="italic">DH</span>. “For water purification plants, in some cases, electricity connections have been taken informally. We’re taking up a drive to ensure 100% meter connections.”</p>.<p>A recent government order explains the problem: Escoms cannot disconnect a defunct connection until pending dues are cleared. And, panchayat officials, for years, did not seek disconnection by identifying those that were defunct. </p>.<p>Sample this: There are 3,561 RR numbers that are not working for more than two years and 1,590 have been inactive for 1-2 years. “Power bills continue to be generated and the pendency keeps piling up,” an official said. The same applies to connections without meters. “Bills are generated based on approximation on the quantum of power used,” the official pointed out. </p>.<p>The government has decided to ask Escoms to disconnect power connections that are defunct for more than one year and transfer it to another live connection so that pending bills stop piling up. </p>.<p>Going forward, panchayats have to pay power bills through e-Belaku, which will have details on all RR numbers. Even new connections are to be routed through this, the government order said. </p>
<p>An ongoing government survey has found thousands of electricity connections powering streetlights and supply of water in rural areas of Bengaluru and eight other districts to be either defunct, unauthorised or unmetered. </p>.<p>The survey is being done as part of the government’s plan to implement e-Belaku, an online application that aims at streamlining electricity bill payments by gram panchayats. </p>.<p>Gram panchayats owe electricity supply companies over Rs 4,229.60 crore in the form of pending bills.</p>.<p>The amount has accumulated over several years with officials failing to report defunct connections. </p>.<p>To bring some order to this chaos, the government had to first get data on existing electricity connections for streetlights and water supply units, mainly borewells. </p>.<p>There are 83,429 RR (revenue register) numbers in nine districts for which Bescom provides electricity - Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere and Vijayanagara. Every electricity connection is identified with an RR number. </p>.<p>At least 9,647 RR numbers are not functional, the survey has found so far. Also, 9,058 RR numbers do not have a meter while 5,005 have meters that are not working. </p>.<p>These numbers may go up as the survey progresses. </p>.<p>“We are taking up a survey to identify connections without meters, with defunct pumps and with malfunctioning meters,” Additional Chief Secretary (Rural Development & Panchayat Raj) L K Atheeq told <span class="italic">DH</span>. “For water purification plants, in some cases, electricity connections have been taken informally. We’re taking up a drive to ensure 100% meter connections.”</p>.<p>A recent government order explains the problem: Escoms cannot disconnect a defunct connection until pending dues are cleared. And, panchayat officials, for years, did not seek disconnection by identifying those that were defunct. </p>.<p>Sample this: There are 3,561 RR numbers that are not working for more than two years and 1,590 have been inactive for 1-2 years. “Power bills continue to be generated and the pendency keeps piling up,” an official said. The same applies to connections without meters. “Bills are generated based on approximation on the quantum of power used,” the official pointed out. </p>.<p>The government has decided to ask Escoms to disconnect power connections that are defunct for more than one year and transfer it to another live connection so that pending bills stop piling up. </p>.<p>Going forward, panchayats have to pay power bills through e-Belaku, which will have details on all RR numbers. Even new connections are to be routed through this, the government order said. </p>
