Orissa high court has been informed by the state government that power distribution companies and some industrial houses in the state are the major defaulters of electricity duties.

During hearing of a batch of PILs challenging the power tariff hike of Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) in the court of Justice B P Das and B K Mishra yesterday, a government official submitted that four power distribution companies and 42 industrial houses did not pay electricity bills of Rs 1331.55 crore.

Principal chief electrical inspector of the state S N Mishra has submitted that Cesu, Wesco, Southco and Nesco - together did not pay Rs 297.50 crore as electricity duty.

As many as 42 industrial houses also did not pay Rs 1034.05 crore as electricity duty to the state government, he said.

The high court in March this year had slapped a stay on collection of hiked tariff both from commercial and domestic users of electricity.

Subsequently however, the court modified its order vacating the stay on commercial consumers.

The high court had earlier asked the state government to file an affidavit stating the dues of the industrial houses.