Balangir, April 18: The executive engineer of the Western Electricity Supply Company of Orissa (Wesco) division of Balangir has lodged a police complaint against K.S. Techno Enterprises, a franchise company responsible for collection of electricity bill from consumers.

In its complaint, Wesco has alleged that the company had not handed over to them money collected for electricity bills amounting to Rs 71 lakh. The police have registered a case under Section 409 of the IPC against the franchisee.

Sources said that Wesco here had appointed K.S. Techno Enterprises as the franchise company to collect electricity bills from consumers in its Balangir division.

Apart from collecting bills from consumers, the franchise company was also given power to disconnect and reconnect power supply of consumers. Till March 2011, the franchise company collected electricity bills from consumers to the tune of several lakhs, but had not deposited the same to the Wesco authorities.

The executive engineer of Wesco Balangir division, Alok Satapathy, however, refused to make any comment on the issue. Sub-inspector of Balangir town police station Sanatan Mahanand said that they have registered a case against the franchise company.