Pay unpaid bills or have electricity lines cut off: Power Division tells city corporations

Power Division or any distributing company will not be held liable if an accident happens as a result of city corporations or municipalities unlawfully connecting their networks to electric lines.

The Power Division issued such a warning in a Facebook post today, citing an incident in the West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited (WZPDC) area.

According to the post, WZPDC served a notice on September 7 to city corporations and municipalities under its jurisdiction to settle past-due power bills by September 18. If city corporations do not comply, WZPDC will disconnect electricity lines in accordance with Article 18 (1) of the Electricity Act 2018.

Following the WZPDC notice, 75 connections of city corporations and municipalities who failed to pay their payments on time were cut.

Tk 3.34 crore due bills from 16 city corporations and municipalities were collected.

However, the distribution company is concerned that certain city corporations and municipalities are joining their networks illegally with electricity lines without communicating with WZPDC.

"During these reconnections, if any accident occurs, the Power Division or its distribution company will not take responsibility," said the Power Division.

"Legal action will be taken against such illegal and unlawful reconnections of power lines without paying the outstanding bills," it noted.

The Power Division also mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on June 1 to disconnect power lines if any customer does not pay the outstanding electricity bill even after receiving a notice.

Following the directive, all distribution companies under the Power Division were instructed to take necessary measures by issuing notices to the consumers having due electricity bills.