Cuttack: After a gap of 10 months, power supply to the Municipal Girls’ High School at Thoria Sahi was restored Friday at the behest of district Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, sources said.
The high school had been deprived of electricity for the last 10 months over outstanding dues.
The authorities of Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (Cesu) had refused to restore electricity supply to the school as the power dues of the institute crossed Rs 14 lakh, sources added.
The school was established with a few students in 1957. Subsequently, the school came under the jurisdiction of the municipal body of the city. However, the institute was accorded a government school status February 28, 2004. At present, the school has altogether 238 girls from Class VI to Class X.
According to sources, electricity supply to the school was cut January 15 this year as the authorities failed to clear the pending power dues of Rs 14,15, 159.
The Cesu authorities, however, restored power supply to the girls’ high school for a brief period during the 2019 general and Assembly elections as a polling booth was set up at the institute.
Orissa POST had published a news report on this issue in its October 30 edition. Taking the issue seriously, the district collector had directed the district education officer (DEO) to take steps to restore electricity supply to the girls’ high school. Subsequently, Cesu authorities restored power supply to the school, sources said.
“The state government had taken over the school in 2004. However, the Cesu authorities have been issuing power bills in the name of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). That is why, the power bills could not be deposited,” said a source.
DEO Niranjan Behera said soon a meeting will be convened between the district administration and the CMC to take a decision on who will pay the electricity bills.
