Mukesh Sharma

Kalimpong,24th Jan

Commercial establishment, Hotels and restaurants here has started to receive notices from the West Bengal State electricity distribution company limited (WBSEDCL) stating to clear the outstanding amounts by January 29 failing which the company has threatened to disconnect power supply.
The outstanding dues were piled up during the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) called boycott to pay the bills during the agitation period. A notice issue to one of the customer reads, “We find that Rs.4.51236 remains unpaid upto Oct 2011 and we therefore give u this notice that unless the bills is paid within January 29 to the officer in charge Kalimpong CCC, we shall reluctantly be compel to disconnect your power supply to your premises without any further reference to you and without prejudice to our rights to recover such outstanding dues by suit’

Further the notice read that without payment of dues, no power supply will be resumed.

Tara Sundas a CPIM leader has questioned the GJM’s earlier version which said that the issue
was solved with the state government. “The minutes of the WBSEDCL review meeting held recently states that a notice will be issued soon for non payment of electricity bills to commercial establishment,” said Sundas.

Following issuance of notices, the hotel and restaurant owners association (HORAK) of Kalimpong met the Kalimpong MLA. After meeting the MLA Sanjogita Subba, the president of the Association said, we followed the GJM’s order and now they should come forward to solve this.
We are law abiding citizens and upset with the notice. It was because of their order we did not pay the bills”.

The MLA however has sought an appointment to meet the state power Minister Manish Gupta on Monday to speak on the matter. The GJM had boycotted paying both Telephone and Electricity bills from 2008. Interestingly, after GJM accepted the GTA the pending bills were send by the companies to the public.