The Vidyut Vinyogadarula Ikya Vedika, a forum representing electricity consumers, has called on the Andhra Pradesh government to immediately clear the substantial backlog of subsidy payments and unpaid electricity bills owed to the state’s power distribution companies (DISCOMs). The group warned that the growing arrears are putting severe strain on the financial stability of the utilities.
The Vedika pointed out that the state had assured the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) in March 2023 that it would pay the electricity subsidies for the 2023–24 fiscal year, which was a basis for setting tariffs for that period. However, the subsidy dues have continued to mount, rising from ₹11,476.52 crore by March 2024 to ₹12,921.93 crore by March 2025. As of September 2025, the arrears remained high, at around ₹12,718.68 crore, and are expected to increase further by March 2026.
In addition to subsidy arrears, electricity bill dues outstanding as of 31 March 2025 stood at ₹15,137.53 crore. Speaking to the media, Vedika convenor MV Anjaneyulu highlighted that of the total unpaid amounts, government departments accounted for around ₹4,861.76 crore (32.12%), local bodies owed about ₹3,305.50 crore (21.84%), and private entities were responsible for ₹6,288.37 crore (41.54%). Combined, dues from government departments and local bodies represent nearly 54% of the total outstanding amount.
While welcoming the state’s recent pledge to cover ₹4,497.89 crore related to electricity costs from the 2019–20 to 2023–24 control period, Anjaneyulu expressed skepticism about whether this commitment, along with the larger backlog, will be honoured in a timely manner given the volume of unpaid dues.
