Mumbai: Reliance Energy owes electricity duty and other taxes amounting to Rs 1,452 crore to the State government, which was recovered from customers under the guise of other charges.
Right to Information (RTI) sctivist Anil Galgali had sought information about the status of electricity duty and tax paid to the State government by Reliance Energy, which was recovered from consumers.
According to the reply, Reliance Energy recovered Rs 591 crore from June 2017 to October 2017 under the categories of Electricity Duty, Electricity Tax, Toss and Green Cess, as per prescribed rate.
The electricity inspector at Mumbai Central division replied that from October 2016 to May 2017, under the categories of Electricity Duty, Electricity Tax, Toss and Green Cess, Reliance recovered Rs 860 crore from customers, and is yet to transfer the money to the government.
Reliance recovered Rs 1,452 crore as electricity surcharge and sales tax from consumers, but did not deposit it with the government.
The reply furnished by the Electricity Inspector of Santacruz division, Minakshi Wathore, stated that since June this year, when the electricity tax branch was opened, Reliance recovered Rs 591 crore, but failed to transfer it to the State government.
After the RTI query was filed by the activist, government officials woke up and issued a notice to the company for payment of the duty.
According to sources, Minakshi Wathore issued instructions to the General Manager of Reliance to pay the duty on November 3 and Mumbai Division of State’s Electricity Department issued a show cause notice to Reliance.
