By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 9, 2017: Odisha government, which took lead in the country by initiating reforms in power sector, owes more than Rs 482 crore.

The Housing and Urban Development department in the state tops the list with Rs 219 crore arrear followed by the School and Mass Education department with Rs 31 crore, while Rs 26 crore dues is pending on Rural Development department, Rs 28 crore on Panchayatiraj department, Rs 53 crore on other departments including Public Enterprises (PE).

Reviewing the rural electrification at a meeting with the Collectors through a video conferencing programme, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi expressing displeasure with the departments over huge amount of electricity bill pending on the government.

Padhi, directed the concerned authorities to pay the pending bill by March end and asked them to cooperate the departments in the payment of pending electricity bills.

However, he asked the collectors not to disconnect the power connection to drinking water sources. He directed them to make the transformers functional within 48 hours of the blowing up.

Padhi also directed to complete the rural electrification work in total 847 villages of the State by May this year. The government is targeting for providing electricity connection to all the hamlets by May 2018 and houses by May 2019 across the state.

Consumers owe Rs 3000 crore electricity bill in the state.