Jharkhand News : Amid complaints from residents about electricity being disconnected even for small dues, the Ranchi Electricity Supply Circle has clarified its policy on pending-bill action. Superintending Engineer D.N. Sahu said the department is tracking all categories of defaulters and noted that nearly 70% of consumers in Ranchi have an outstanding balance of less than ₹200.
He stated that after two to three months, power supply for these low-balance consumers will also be disconnected if they continue to delay payments.
Why are small-dues consumers being disconnected first?
According to officials, many consumers with low dues have not paid their bills for a long time, and action is being taken against such persistent defaulters. The department said that around 25,000–30,000 connections in Ranchi have already been disconnected as part of the drive.
Why are some high-dues consumers getting relief?
Officials explained that consumers with large outstanding amounts may receive temporary relief if they are regularly paying dues through an installment plan and have formally applied at the office of the concerned assistant electrical engineer or executive engineer.
However, consumers who have not applied for installment payments will not get reconnection until the full outstanding amount is cleared.
“Zero-balance” consumers not targeted yet due to technical constraints
The department also said that cutting supply for a large number of “zero/very-low balance” users at once could increase load pressure on grids and substations. Due to this technical concern, such consumers are currently getting relief—but disconnections may begin for them as well after 2–3 months.
Smart meter rollout update
In the first phase, the department plans to install smart meters for households where they are still pending within 3–6 months. In the Ranchi Municipal Corporation area, around 30,000–35,000 consumers are still awaiting smart meter installation due to various on-ground issues.
