KOCHI: The district administration’s share of dues to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has touched a whopping Rs 25 lakh. Though the actual bill was Rs 7 lakh for the period from 2006 to 2008, it has reached Rs 25 lakh after the various departments of the District Administration failed to make timely payment.A highly-placed official with the KSEB said the different departments of the district administration had been making default in payment citing lack of adequate funds.“We have brought the issue to the notice of the authorities several times but to no avail. Since both are government entities, the department has limitations in initiating action against another wing,” he added.The official said the KSEB was in a crisis as it could not collect the amount until the government issued an order. “We have constantly been asking for the payment but the district administration stuck to the stand that the funds have not been sanctioned, which is completely unwarranted,” he said.Sources said a meeting had also been convened by the District Collector, who instructed the defaulters to pay the amount as a one-time settlement to which the departments were yet to respond positively.They added that when the district administration requested for a power connection at the new annexe building at the civil station, the KSEB had pointed out the gravity of the situation.The KSEB officials have said that the connections were taken in the name of the District Collector and Public Works Development Assistant Engineer. Among the major departments which failed to pay the amount are the District Collectorate and the Motor Vehicles Department which have a separate connection.District Collector P I Sheik Pareeth said the major hurdle in paying the bill was that the departments did not have a separate funding system. “Such bills are paid by the Revenue Department. This confusion could have been avoided if the departments decidedto pay their amount separately,” he said.
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