DPDC cuts power supply to pvt hospital over bill default

Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) disconnected electricity connection to the Brighton Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in the city's Hatirpool area on Tuesday for its default on payment of Tk 6.47 million in bills.

A press release issued by the country's largest power distribution company on Wednesday said the hospital authority had not paid any electricity bill since 2011. DPDC served eight notices on the authority over the last five months without receiving any response from the hospital owners. Brighton Hospital has two buildings where a large amount of electricity is consumed.

Finally DPDC officials cut the power supply as per instruction of its taskforce chief Munir Chowdhury.    

When asked, Munir Chowdhury said Brighton Hospital is one of the top bill defaulter organisations. It is an offence for a hospital to elude electricity bills.

"DPDC has taken a tough stance on combating the culture of receiving services from government organisations without paying bills, " said Mr Chowdhury.

Talking to the FE, Brighton Hospital managing director Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury expressed his unwillingness to comment on the issue as the DPDC authority has not served them any notice prior to cutting the connection. Brighton is not responsible for the whole pending amount as there are other owners of a building, he claimed.

Of the total amount, approximately Tk 2.0 million to Tk 2.5 million is surcharge. However, the hospital authority is negotiating with the government the payment in instalments: Tk 1.0 million in May, 50 per cent of the rest amount in June and by July it would be cleared, he added.

msshova@gmail.com