Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has recovered ₹40.33 crore from power bill defaulters in Nagpur and Vidarbha under the amnesty scheme launched in August last year.
The discom introduced the ‘Abhay Yojana’ to recover outstanding dues from consumers whose electricity connections had been permanently disconnected due to non-payment of bills. The scheme has received a positive response across Vidarbha, with Nagpur district accounting for the highest number of beneficiaries.
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Monday 17 March 2025
“Under this scheme, interest and late fees on outstanding dues are waived, giving consumers an opportunity to restore their electricity connections. The amnesty scheme will end on March 31. After the deadline, MSEDCL will initiate strict legal action from April 1 against consumers who do not participate and fail to clear their dues,” said an official.
According to MSEDCL, 37,834 consumers in Vidarbha have benefited from the scheme so far, collectively paying ₹40.33 crore and receiving waivers on interest and late fees.
“The highest number of beneficiaries are from Nagpur district, with 10,196 consumers, followed by Buldhana (5,893 consumers) and Gadchiroli (3,902 consumers). Other districts with significant participation include Akola, Washim, Yavatmal, Amravati, Gondia, Chandrapur, Wardha, and Bhandara,” MSEDCL stated.
MSEDCL sources revealed that officials had initially expected to recover around ₹200 crore but have only managed to collect ₹40.33 crore so far. “However, this amount is significantly higher than what was recovered during similar schemes launched earlier,” said sources.
The scheme is available to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers across Maharashtra, except for agricultural consumers. Participants must pay 30% of their principal arrears upfront, while the remaining 70% can be paid in six instalments. Consumers opting for a one-time payment receive a discount—10% for low-tension consumers and 5% for high-tension consumers. The scheme is only applicable to consumers whose electricity was permanently disconnected due to unpaid bills before March 31, 2024.
Consumers can apply for the scheme via the official MSEDCL website, the mobile app, or by contacting toll-free numbers 1912, 18002333435, or 18002123435. They can also visit their nearest MSEDCL office for further details. Once pending bills are cleared, defaulters can apply for a new electricity connection at the same address.
Earlier, the Nagpur Circle of MSEDCL organized a week-long Lok Adalat in collaboration with the Permanent Lok Adalat Forum, Nagpur. For the first time, around 1.09 lakh consumers, whose power connections were permanently disconnected, were served summons for the Lok Adalat.
