The Manipur High Court has closed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to State authorities to ensure reliable power supply in Tamenglong District and to employ sufficient manpower in the Tamenglong Division of the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL).
The petition filed by residents of Tamenglong, claiming to be the President and Secretary of a civil society organization called United Women Organization, Tamenglong, further seeks direction to handover the responsibility of maintaining the existing 33 KV lines to the Manipur State Power Company Limited (MSPCL) or in the alternative, ensure that adequate funds, resources and manpower were provided to the Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) to maintain the said 33 KV lines and to develop the infrastructure of both the companies to avoid frequent power-cuts in Tamenglong District.
Pursuant to the queries put forth by the High Court with regard to payment of bills by consumers of electricity in Tamenglong District, including the petitioners herein, the Managing Director, MSPDCL, Manipur, filed an additional affidavit dated 29.07.2022. Therein, he explained the system of uploading of bills and asserted that the arrears due, in so far as the petitioners are concerned, stood at Rs 170 and Rs 349 respectively as on 30.04.2022.
That apart, he stated that the total outstanding dues for Tamenglong Division, comprising Tamenglong, Tamei and Tousem Sub-Divisions, aggregated to Rs 9,50,40,807. He went on to state that despite such huge arrears being pending, the regular power supply in Tamenglong District has not been disturbed till date.
“In the light of the above facts, which remain unrebutted, it is not open to the petitioners to insist upon continuous and reliable power supply in Tamenglong District when consumers in the district are not paying their bills. This Court, therefore, cannot accept or act upon the prayer of the petitioners in this public interest litigation case,” observed the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice M.V. Muralidaran.