Another notice served on BAL

BALASORE: North Eastern Electricity Supply Company (Nesco) has slapped another disconnection notice on Balasore Alloys Limited (BAL) after the latter failed to pay the electricity bill amounting to Rs 15 crore for December. While the Nesco and BAL have been at loggerheads since long following non-payment of arrear electricity dues of over Rs 150 crore and the matter sub judice, the fresh disconnection notice has come as a shock for the ferro-alloy company. Sources said BAL was charged with a bill of over Rs 15 crore for December, of which it had paid Rs 5 crore. “As the company did not pay the billing amount in due date, we slapped the disconnection notice according to the regulations of Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC). If it fails to pay the balance in 15 days, we would disconnect power supply without any further notice,” said a Nesco official. On December 16, Nesco had issued disconnection notice asking the power-intensive unit BAL to pay the outstanding bill of Rs 165.51 crore. BAL, however, challenged it in the High Court.Hearing the petition on December 26, Justice L Mohapatra ordered that the notice shall be kept in abeyance provided the petitioner deposited Rs 45 crore by January 9, the date on which the question of further deposit will be decided. The court also asked the petitioner to pay the current energy dues regularly. But surprisingly, the order was reviewed on January 12 (the hearing held instead of January 9) after BAL filed a counter affidavit. Justice S K Mishra, as an interim measure, directed Nesco not to disconnect power on payment of ` 6 crore. While BAL deposited Rs 2 crore to Nesco’s special officer in the court, it was asked to pay the rest by February 15, the next hearing date when the question of further deposit or any modification shall be decided.    “Though in the fresh order the HC had directed the BAL to pay the current dues regularly, it did not obey the order,” added the Nesco official. Director (operations) of BAL, B N Panda admitted to have received the disconnection notice.