Patna Municipal Corporation and Patna Electric Supply Undertaking have started forming teams to conduct a joint survey for the assessment of dues the agencies owe each other.

The logjam over dues of close to Rs 300 crore of both agencies is nearing a solution. Sources said a joint assessment on the pending payments by engineers of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) is expected to start by December.

The power distribution companies had sent a list to the urban development and housing department on the dues of urban local bodies, including the PMC, up to October 2013.

H.R. Pandey, deputy general manager (public relations), Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Ltd, said: “PMC owes nearly Rs 300 crore to Pesu. If the due payment is made, the board will be able to purchase more power and improve the power condition in the city. Talks are being held to sort out the payments.”

The dues against power consumption at the establishments owned by PMC and the Patna wing of Bihar Rajya Jal Parishad is Rs 299 crore. The civic body’s building at Buddha Marg also owes around Rs 2 crore to Pesu.

On the opposite end, the civic body also served a notice on Pesu for payment of holding tax dues amounting to Rs 277 crore in September.

There are 227 buildings of the Bihar State Power (Holding) Company in Patna, including its residential colony at Patel Nagar. Pesu, sources said, has not paid holding tax to the PMC since 1970.

In extreme circumstances of non-payment of dues, Pesu can cut power supply to the establishments of the civic body, including water pump and sewerage pump houses, while the PMC has the power to attach properties of holding tax defaulters.

Following the backlog dues, a meeting was held in October at the level of the energy department’s principal secretary.

A senior PMC officer said: “It was decided that a joint assessment of the dues of each party would be conducted by the engineers of PMC and Pesu. The final decision on the clearance of the dues would be taken on the basis of findings of the assessment.”

Sources in the PMC said collection of the holding tax dues from government agencies was imperative to boost the revenue. According to recent estimates, the national average for holding tax collection is Rs 486. The same for PMC is Rs 125.

While the agencies try to assess their dues to each other, the residents are peeved.

Digha resident Alok Kumar said: “It is ironical that the government agencies owe so much dues to each other at a time the financial burden on residents is being increased. Every passing day, there is some hike effected in power tariff rate or property tax.”