CUTTACK: The Odisha High Court has directed the North Eastern Electricity Company (NESCO) to maintain status quo with regard to supply of power to Balasore Alloys Limited, which had been issued disconnection notice for non-payment of arrears.
Considering the nature of urgency involved in the company’s petition, the Court issued the order after hearing the matter through video conferencing.The company was issued with an order of disconnection on March 28. The order indicated ` five crore arrear electricity dues against the company. The current bill of February was `23.2 crore.
According to the petitioner, the company had already deposited an amount of ` six crore. Due to the lockdown, the company is not in a position to deposit the entire electricity dues, the petitioner had pleaded while seeking immediate intervention.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanju Panda and Justice Biswanath Rath directed Balasore Alloys Limited “to deposit another sum of ` five crore within a period of 20 days and file an undertaking before the authorities concerned that after the lockdown period is lifted, it will immediately clear the demanded amount.”
“In such event, the status quo as on date with regard to supply of electricity involving the impugned notice of disconnection shall be maintained by the parties,” the bench said in its March 30 interim order, a copy of which was available on Tuesday.The court has posted the matter to May 15 for further hearing.