BHOPAL: Close to 70% of the electricity connection holders in Jait village of Sehore district , CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s native place, are power defaulters. About 180 of the 267 families owe Rs 37 lakh in power bills at a time when the state has launched a mega power-bill waiver scheme.On top of the list is Rishpal Singh with Rs 1.75 lakh dues. Three others have outstanding bills over Rs 1 lakh. Most have pending bills of Rs 10,000- Rs 30,000, and more than a dozen have outstanding bills of Rs 50,000 each, say documents with TOI. CM’s brother Narendra Singh Chouhan has dues of about Rs 15, 253. “There might be some dues. As I live in Bhopal , I clear bills once every two or three months, not a big deal,” Narendra Singh Chouhan told TOI.Chouhan said there were misprints in some cases. “I don’t think anyone has dues of Rs 1.5 lakh or above, it could be a misprint as it often happens,” he said.Elsewhere in the state, the electricity department cuts connection if there are dues of Rs 2,000. But there’s no such action has been taken in Jait. Not surprisingly, most officials refrained from comment. GS Patel, DGM of Budhni, which lies in O&M Bhopal circle of Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Ltd (MKVVCL), said Chouhan has always paid his bills on time. Asked about the other outstanding bills, Patel said only a PRO can comment. When TOI contacted MKVVCL spokesperson Manoj Dwivedi, he said: “Outstanding bills are a problem everywhere and Jait is no exception. This is why the government has launched power bill waiver.”

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