Total outstanding dues owed by electricity distribution utilities or Distribution companies (discoms) to power producers fell 11.2 percent to Rs 81,628 crore in April 2021 from a year ago. According to portal PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators), discoms owed a total Rs 91,915 crore to power generation firms in April 2020.
However, outstanding dues of discoms towards electricity producers have been increasing year-on-year as well as month-on-month for years showing perennial stress in the power sector till February this year. It has started tapering off from March 2021. Total dues in April increased sequentially compared to Rs 78,841 crore in March this year.
Total outstanding dues of discoms had dipped 3.4 percent in March this year from Rs 81,687 crore in the same month last year. In April 2021, the total overdue amount, which was not cleared even after 45 days of grace period offered by generators, stood at Rs 68,732 crore as against Rs 76,117 crore in the same month a year ago. The overdue amount stood at Rs 67,656 crore in March this year.