MSEDCL warns of criminal action as bounced cheque cases hit 4 per day in Sambhajinagar zone

Times News NetworkChhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) is reporting at least four cases of bounced cheques every day in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar zone. As the recovery drive intensifies ahead of the financial year-end, the state power utility has warned that consumers could face criminal proceedings for such lapses.According to MSEDCL data, an average of 130 cheques bounce every month across the zone, which covers the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts."The primary reasons for these failures include incorrect dates, physical damage to the cheques, mismatched signatures, incorrect names, and insufficient funds in the accounts," said Pawan Kumar Kachhot, zonal chief engineer, MSEDCL.The consequences for a bounced cheques are immediate and costly. Consumers are charged a base penalty of Rs750, which, after including bank charges and GST, totals Rs885. This amount, along with late payment charges, is added to the following month's electricity bill.Beyond financial penalties, MSEDCL is now prepared to take legal recourse. Dnyaneshwar Ardad, public relations officer for the zone, clarified the legal stance: "Under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, criminal action can be initiated against customers whose cheques bounce. Once we receive a ‘cheque return memo' from the bank, the customer will be served a formal notice. If the dues are not cleared within 15 days of that notice, MSEDCL will proceed with criminal charges."To avoid these complications, MSEDCL has appealed to consumers to switch to online payment methods.To incentivise the shift, the utility offers a 0.25% discount on electricity bills for payments made via credit/debit cards, UPI, internet banking, or digital wallets through the official website (www.mahadiscom.in) and the MSEDCL mobile app.Officials noted that digital payments not only provide a discount but also eliminate the risks of physical cheque errors and the subsequent legal or financial penalties associated with bouncing.