Power department urges govt-run hospitals to pay electricity dues

Kolkata: State Power department has written to the Health department urging an immediate payment of around Rs 19 crore to clear off the outstanding electricity dues from various government-run hospitals across the state.

After receiving a letter from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL), the Health department has acted promptly asking the hospitals to clear off the dues.

A senior health department official has instructed the principals and superintendents of the medical colleges and hospitals to look into the matter and arrange for payment of the outstanding dues.

A compliance report in this regard must be sent to the Health department within 15 days from the date of receipt of the letter. It will go through the reports on each and every hospital and health institution as to why they failed to pay the dues on time.

It may be mentioned that the Chairman and Managing Director of WBSEDCL has requested for an immediate payment. It was learnt that over Rs 19 crore is due from various district, sub-divisional hospitals and other medical institutions in the state. The highest amount of money is due from the district of Darjeeling with the figure touching almost Rs 9.5 crore followed by Nadia with Rs 4.5 crore and Burdwan with little over Rs 1 crore.

The other districts having the highest amount of dues include Murshidabad, West Midnapore, South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore.

According to the sources at the Health department, over Rs 95 lakh is due from various hospitals in Murshidabad, while it is over Rs 61 lakh from the hospitals in West Midnapore and around Rs 51 lakh from South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore each.

In case of North 24-Parganas, the due amount is over Rs 16 lakh, while Birbhum and Bankura have to pay around Rs 24.7 lakh and Rs 18.4 lakh respectively.

While Hooghly and Howrah districts have to pay around Rs 33.6 lakh and Rs 76.5 lakh respectively, Purulia and Malda have to cough up around Rs 12.9 lakh and Rs 26.2 lakh.

According to sources, the bills have been outstanding up to May this year. All the hospital authorities have been asked to take immediate action in this regard.