Telangana: Public pays for fault of electricity staff

Hyderabad: As electricity billing issues continue to cause woes to electricity consumers, an NGO Samachara Hakku Vikasa Samithi is all set to file PIL in High Court for justice.

"We are supposed to get bill for 30 days but metre reading is being delayed every month, with the result that consumers are being brought under higher slabs, resulting in needless tariff hikes. It is putting financial burden on middle-class families. For Instance, if a consumer has consumed 120 units in 40 days then the billing is done according to the slab rates where 100 units are charged differently and the remaining 20 units come under higher slab rates. This kind of billing pattern is not acceptable and we will fight for justice till the end," said Y Krishna Reddy, the president of Vikasa samithi.

The additional reading over a month due to late reading of metres should be added to the bill of the next month. Instead, the electricity department is making more moolah by charging higher tariff for extra units counted. The NGO stresses the need to issue necessary instructions to the staff regular timely reading of bills.

"Instead of issuing electricity bills for 30 days, TSSPDCL officials are issuing bills for 35 days to 40 days. The 40-day billing is leading to slab change and consumers are being slapped with high electricity bills. I have been facing the same issue for over a year. I was forced to pay additional billing to save my electricity connection several times," rued G Dhivakar, a consumer from Alwal.

The problem is all due to late billing exercise by the officials.

"It's the ground level staff who need to be monitored so that the problem could be solved, said another consumer Yonus who was slapped with Rs 1,300 electricity bill during the lockdown even as his room was locked for three long months.

"This is a long-term problem. They come late and issue bill crossing slabs. The average consumption per each month must be considered and levied bill for 30 days only. If the government does not seem to be willing to set it right, as it is making profits," flays Ajay Kumar from Mettuguda who was slapped with Rs 1,848 instead of the usual Rs 678 for a month.

For the first 0- 50 units a month, the charges per unit is Rs 1.45 per unit. Once consumption crosses 100 units, the slab becomes Rs 2.60 per unit. Similarly, once 300 units are crossed, the tariff becomes Rs 7.2 per unit resulting in a sharp increase in power bills. Normally, the billing must be done between the first and seventh of every month. But in several areas, the consumers are not receiving their bills even by the third week of the month.

"Why should I pay for the fault of the electricity staff? There should be a system and pattern which electricity billing officials should follow in a way that the billing will be calculated only for 30 days," said Sravanthi, a techie who received electricity bill of Rs 1578 which is thrice the usual.

"This is irresponsible behaviour by officials. My bill is generated for 33 days, they just want to increase the slab rates by doing this. Due to slab change, we are burdened with excess charges and we don't deserve it," said another customer K Naresh.

TSSPDCL chief denies charges

TSSPDCL chairman and managing director G Raghuma Reddy says some unscrupulous elements are circulating false information regarding the meter reading and billing every month. He has denied the allegations that they are not taking meter readings within 30 days and are thus delaying the billing intentionally for generating excess bills. A special software has also been installed in spot billing machines for making necessary changes for calculating the bill for 30 days automatically, he added.

CRUX OF ISSUE

For the first 0- 50 units a month, the charges per unit is Rs 1.45 per unit. Once consumption crosses 100 units, the slab becomes Rs 2.60 per unit. Similarly, once 300 units are crossed, the tariff becomes Rs 7.2 per unit resulting in a sharp increase in power bills. Normally, the billing must be done between the first and seventh of every month. But in several areas, the consumers are not receiving their bills even by the third week of the month