The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has asked its assessors to resume door-to-door meter reading from Monday.
A senior official of the power utility said that although the COVID-19 lockdown had been extended till July 31, there would not be any exemption henceforth for meter reading, even if the lockdown was to be extended beyond July.
Electricity Minister P. Thangamani said that the reading had not been taken in April and May because of the lockdown. He said that the exercise was resumed in June but was stopped after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced a total lockdown in Chennai and its three neighbouring districts from June 19 to July 5.
However, consumer activists have been critical of the government for exempting assessors from taking meter readings even while other electricity staff have been engaged in maintenance work, even in containment zones.
Consumer activist M. Somasundaram, who received an “exorbitant” electricity bill, blamed Tangedco officials for exempting assessors from taking meter reading. He said that since electricity supply was an essential service, and part of an important duty as per the the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, meter reading could have been carried out. He said meters were fixed on the ground floor and taking a reading did not involve any human interaction. The work could have been done efficiently.
V. Rajagopal, a resident welfare activist from Anna Nagar West Extension, said that Tangedco, having worked out a calculation to find the average units consumed, could have avoided controversy over meter reading exemption. He said that several consumers had complained about assessors making errors while recording the actual units used.