Unpaid dues leave MP village without power for 3 months

Nearly 70 households in Khajuri village, under Chhaigaon Makhan Janpad Panchayat in Khandwa district, have been without electricity for about three months after the village transformer failed and the power supply was disconnected over outstanding bills. The crisis has now extended to agricultural connections, leaving homes and fields without power.

Residents said the transformer stopped working around three months ago. According to them, the electricity company cited outstanding dues against consumers in the village and did not repair or replace the faulty transformer. Power supply was gradually stopped, leaving the entire village without electricity.

The prolonged outage has affected routine life and agricultural activities. Villagers said they celebrated Rakhi and the Ganesh festival in darkness and have been struggling to operate fans, lights, mobile phones, and other essential electrical appliances.

The situation worsened on Sunday when electricity supply to agricultural fields was also disconnected. Farmers said the move could affect irrigation and other farm-related activities at a time when electricity is essential for cultivation.

According to electricity company officials, Khajuri has around 70 electricity consumers, of whom only five families regularly pay their bills. Around 65 consumers have outstanding dues estimated at nearly Rs 9 lakh. The company has also said that around 40 to 50 families in the village are tribal households and that some consumers have accumulated dues of up to `40,000 each.

The company officials maintain that prolonged non-payment and the substantial outstanding amount led to the disconnection. Officials said some consumers have now started coming forward to deposit their dues following the shutdown and that restoration can be considered after the outstanding amount is recovered.

Villagers, however, argue that collective action is unfair to families that have regularly paid their bills. They said consumers who have defaulted for long periods should face disconnection or action under the applicable rules, rather than the entire village being deprived of electricity.

Residents also said the prolonged outage has created difficulties after sunset, with the village remaining largely dark. Beyond household problems, the lack of electricity has affected farming operations and increased dependence on alternative arrangements.

The dispute highlights the difficulty of balancing electricity bill recovery with uninterrupted essential services for consumers who have complied with payment requirements. Villagers are seeking a solution that allows the company to recover dues from defaulters while restoring supply to households that have maintained regular payment records.