Unpaid Electricity Charges of About Rs 3 Lakh Trigger Disconnection at Chhattisgarh MLA’s Home

Power supply to the official quarters of Dantewada MLA Chhatram Atami was halted after the electricity board identified an accumulated debt close to three lakh rupees. The board highlighted two separate meters: a single‑phase unit with a pending bill of approximately Rs 2.30 lakh and a three‑phase unit with a balance exceeding Rs 50,000.

The single‑phase bill has remained unpaid since the 2023 billing period, while the three‑phase account has not seen any payment for the past twelve months. The building, originally a forest‑department rest house, was temporarily handed over to the legislator to facilitate his work in the region.

Conflicting reports emerged about the ownership of the meters. Forest officials say one meter is registered to a local contractor, whereas other insiders assert the meter is in the MLA’s name. The electricity department’s assistant engineer Avinash Lakda confirmed that the disconnection complied with statutory procedures after repeated defaults.

No response has been received from the MLA, and both the electricity and forest departments continue discussions to address the outstanding dues and restore the supply.