16,000 Cheques Bounce For Power Bills In Western Maharashtra Amounting To Rs 41 Crore Unpaid Dues, Pune Tops With ₹94 Lakh
Over the past six months, 16,141 cheques from low-tension electricity consumers in Maharashtra’s western region have bounced, amounting to ₹41.89 crore in unpaid dues. As a result, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has levied ₹1.21 crore in penalties, including bank charges and late fees, according to company statistics.
In the Pune district alone, 12,543 cheques bounced, leading to ₹94.07 lakh in charges. Nearby districts also faced significant cheque-bouncing issues: Solapur reported 894 bounced cheques, incurring ₹6.70 lakh in fees, Kolhapur recorded 1,722 bounced cheques with ₹12.91 lakh in penalties, and Satara and Sangli collectively saw nearly a thousand bounced cheques, accumulating fees of ₹3.66 lakh and ₹3.70 lakh, respectively.
Pune Regional Director Bhujang Khandare commented on the frequency of cheque bounces, averaging around 2,690 cases monthly in Western Maharashtra. He highlighted that common reasons for these include incorrect cheque dates, tampering, signature mismatches, and insufficient funds. “We encourage consumers to switch to reliable digital payments like ECS, NEFT, and RTGS to avoid these charges and delays,” Khandare stated.
Each bounced cheque incurs a penalty of ₹750 in bank charges plus a late fee of 1.25% for every unpaid bill it covers. Given the high volume of 42.12 lakh low-tension consumers in the region, who pay an average of ₹1,195.70 crore monthly, MSEDCL’s emphasis on digital transactions aims to streamline payments and reduce penalties for its customers.