DEHRADUN: A dispute over an unpaid electricity bill has left 15 gram sabhas in Uttarakhand's Nijmula Valley without mobile connectivity after power supply to the area’s BSNL tower was disconnected.
The tower is the valley's only source of mobile network coverage, according to officials. Since the disconnection, residents have been unable to make calls or use mobile internet, disrupting communication across the Chamoli district.
At the centre of the dispute is an electricity bill of Rs 10,07,280, which the power department said has remained unpaid for several years.
The two sides have given different accounts of whether BSNL received the bill and payment notices. The power department maintains that repeated reminders went unanswered, while BSNL says it was not provided the bill before the disconnection.
“The electricity bill of around Rs 10,07,280 had been pending against BSNL for several years,” said Deepak Rana, a junior engineer with the power corporation. “We informed BSNL several times and asked it to clear the dues, but no payment was made. The tower’s electricity connection was disconnected on the instructions of senior officials.”
“The power department disconnected the connection without providing us with the bill, which is not appropriate,” said Rajesh Saini, a BSNL sub-divisional officer. “The power cut to the tower has affected communications across the area.”