Feb 05 2019, 2:48 PMFeb 06 2019, 5:31 AMFebruary 05 2019, 2:48 PMFebruary 06 2019, 5:31 AM
A panel created by the Indian power ministry will submit by the end of February a report examining whether distribution companies should pay generators in advance . Indian electricity producers lack funds due to unpaid bills from distribution companies . This prevents them from repaying their debts and forces them to take out loans to secure working capital . In November 2018 , the owed sum reached INR412bn ( $ 5.8bn ) , rising 29 % from the previous year . About a fifth of the power generated by electricity retailers is unpaid because of leaks in the transmission lines , incorrect or wrong billing and lack of collection .