The Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, March 24: A dispute over unpaid electricity bills threatened to plunge the Lingaraj Temple into darkness. However, due to the efforts of the endowment commission, power supply to the temple will not be cut immediately.

Sources said the dispute over unpaid power bills to the tune of Rs 45.71 lakh had been resolved for the time being, following a meeting in the endowment commission’s office today where representatives of the temple administration and officers of the Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) were present.

Apart from the outstanding amount of Rs 45.71 lakh from the temple, CESU has also sought Rs 1.89 lakh on account of the temple office’s power bill.

Sources said assistant endowment commissioner R.R. Padhi had called a meeting of the temple administrator, representative of CESU and an office-bearer of the Badu Nijog (association of servitors) of the temple to discuss the issue today.

Following the meeting, the temple office power bill amounting to Rs 1.89 lakh was paid to the power utility and the temple administration decided to seek a fresh bill from CESU for the temple’s power bill. Following the payment of this amount an immediate crisis was averted as CESU agreed not to disconnect power supply to the temple as threatened earlier.

Sources said that the Lingraj temple administration is also considering asking the CESU to pay for using the temple’s land for setting up sub-stations and installing transformers.

According to CESU sources, the net power bill of Rs 45.71 lakh for the main temple of Lord Lingaraj included arrears of Rs 18 lakh.

While the monthly bill for the temple comes to around Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000, it usually shoots up to Rs 54,000 as the delayed payment surcharge gets added to it.

“The surcharge has become very high in this case as the temple administration has not paid anything on this account for the last 12 years,” said a senior CESU officer who did not want to be quoted.The delayed surcharged should not be more than the monthly bill. In this case it is more than double. Temple is a religious institution, so the CESU authorities should have charged less on this head. You ask them why it was so much for a temple while there are many concessions being extended to industries,” said a temple official.

After the meeting at the endowment commission’s office, executive officer, Lingaraj temple office, Abanikanta Patnaik, said: “The CESU has been requested by the temple administration to submit another bill for temple’s power consumption. We have also proposed that the CESU either buys the temple land it is using for its purposes or adjusts the amount against our power dues. The value of the land being used by them now would be more than Rs 18 lakh.”

“Power bill has been regularly deposited by all leading temples such as Jagannath temple and Sarala temple. So there is no question of any concession for any other shrine. We are purchasing power from the grid corporation, hence we have to pay back,’’ said Basudev Mahakud, AGM-cum-executive engineer of CESU.

Secretary of Badu Nijog, Kamalakanta Badu, who was also present at the meeting, said: “The best part of the discussion was that the deity and the entire temple premises will not face darkness.

“As thousands of devotees visit the shrine daily, the snapping of power would have caused a serious situation in managing devotees in the evening hours. Even inside the temple nothing can be done without light.”

Akshaya Kumar Mishra, a shop-owner near the temple, said: “Power supply must continue as, after the initiation of the illumination project, the temple would not look good without power at night.” Sujata Rath, a local resident, said: “The problem will be solved if the state government takes interest.

Due dispute

Power supple to Lingaraj temple will not be cut till the matter relating to arrears and dues is resolved

Notice of a net bill of Rs 45.71 lakh, including arrears of Rs 18 lakh, has been served. Temple office bill alone amounts to Rs 1.89 lakh

Monthly bill comes to around Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000. For delayed payment, surcharge of over Rs 33,000 is imposed per month. So, the total amount comes to around Rs 53,000 to Rs 54,000

Temple office bill was paid on Thursday after it was settled following a discussion between the temple administration and officers of Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU)

As CESU uses temple land to install transformers and build offices, the temple administration will give a proposal to the power utility to acquire the land so that the temple can get earn extra revenue

CESU has to deposit more than Rs 18 lakh for using the land owned by Lord Lingaraj, say temple authorities

Temple authorities say the delayed payment surcharge should not be levied on a temple such as Lingaraj as it is one of the oldest monuments in the state