Jammu: Government and semi-government departments have emerged as the biggest category of electricity defaulters in Jammu and Kashmir, with outstanding dues of Rs 3,155.69 crore, accounting for nearly 46 per cent of the total Rs 6,870.15 crore recoverable from commercial, industrial, government and security-force consumers.
The figures were disclosed by the Power Development Department (PDD) in a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Hasnain Masoodi in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
According to the category-wise breakup, commercial consumers owe Rs 1,833.60 crore, while industrial consumers have outstanding dues of Rs 1,005.89 crore. Security forces and their installations owe another Rs 874.97 crore.
The government said the DISCOMs have been undertaking sustained recovery measures, including systematic monitoring of arrears, issuance of demand and payment notices, follow-ups with defaulters and disconnection of electricity supply in cases of persistent default.
During FY 2025-26, a total of 88,387 connections across the categories covered in the reply were disconnected for non-payment. These included 84,818 commercial, 3,167 industrial and 402 government/semi-government connections.
In FY 2026-27 so far, another 50,226 connections have been disconnected, including 48,283 commercial, 1,836 industrial and 107 government/semi-government connections.
This takes the total number of disconnections during FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 so far to 1,38,613.
The government said electricity supply is restored after payment of outstanding dues and completion of prescribed reconnection formalities.
On whether recovery efforts would be intensified, the government said DISCOMs were strengthening their revenue-recovery mechanisms, particularly targeting commercial, industrial and other high-value defaulters.
The measures include circle-wise special recovery drives, monitoring arrears through MIS and billing software, fixing recovery targets for field officers, strict enforcement of disconnection and reconnection policies and legal action, including recovery of dues as arrears of land revenue against habitual defaulters.
The government also clarified that no proposal is under consideration for an amnesty scheme to waive electricity arrears of BPL consumers.
