JAMMU, Apr 2: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday revealed that unpaid electricity bills across government departments, public sector undertakings and security establishments in the Union Territory have climbed beyond ₹3,747 crore, reflecting a growing financial strain on the power sector.
The information was shared in the Legislative Assembly in response to a query raised by PDP legislator Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi. Abdullah, who also oversees the Power Development Department, presented a detailed breakup of the outstanding liabilities.
As per official figures, the cumulative dues stand at ₹3,74,735.42 lakh. Of this, ₹2,31,022.41 lakh falls under the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), while ₹1,43,713.01 lakh is attributed to the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL).
The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has emerged as the biggest defaulter, with pending bills exceeding ₹1,30,043 lakh. It is followed by the Irrigation and Flood Control department, which owes ₹58,059.72 lakh.
Among security agencies, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has outstanding dues of ₹29,638.45 lakh. The Army’s unpaid bills stand at ₹19,719.94 lakh, while the Border Security Force (BSF) owes ₹1,116.87 lakh.
Several other departments also contribute significantly to the total. The Home department has accumulated ₹22,306.46 lakh in dues, while the Housing and Urban Development department owes ₹14,449.47 lakh. The Power Development Department itself has pending liabilities of ₹10,756.53 lakh, and the Power Development Corporation ₹2,277.51 lakh.
Municipal bodies form another major chunk, with dues amounting to ₹24,163.80 lakh. Additionally, the Revenue and Relief department owes ₹8,227.62 lakh, and the Health and Medical Education department has pending bills of ₹11,989.31 lakh.
Other contributors include the Tourism department, Education department, Public Works (R&B), and Rural Development department. Outstanding payments are also recorded from central agencies and public sector entities such as NHPC, NHAI, Railways, Power Grid Corporation of India, BSNL and Prasar Bharati, along with various development authorities and corporations.
In his response, the Chief Minister said that power distribution companies are taking steps to recover dues from defaulting entities. The figures underline the mounting burden of unpaid electricity bills, much of which is linked to institutional and government consumption, posing a serious challenge to the financial stability of the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir.