Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 17

Anil Heer, a resident of Buta Mandi, near Ravidas Dham, was in for a shock, when he received an unusually high electricity bill in February this year.

While complaints about excessively high bills being issued by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have become a routine, Anil received an inflated electricity bill of nearly Rs26 lakh for just two months.

The 27-year-old consumer works as a car mechanic and he moved to his under-construction house in December, last year, after his marriage. Heer at first didn’t know how to react, when he received the bill, showing a total consumption of 5,794 units.

Earlier, he hardly used to pay Rs1,500 to Rs2,000.

He said: “The bill was completely misprinted as I don’t have any other electricity appliances except a fan and three bulbs. The average electricity bill that I used to get against my energy consumption at my previous house always remained between Rs800 and Rs1,000. I fail to understand how a bill for such a hefty amount has been issued to me without taking into account the actual consumption.”

However, the problem didn’t end here. After paying multiple visits to the local PSPCL office, his metre was changed in March, but the officials have asked him to pay Rs1.20 lakh to clear his bill.

“The Junior Engineer at the electricity office told me that I received the inflated bill due to metre jump. Afterwards, instead of revising the bill amount, I received a letter from PSPCL to pay Rs1.20 lakh to clear the outstanding bill. It’s been over four months and my issue hasn’t been resolved and the officials only ask me to visit every week. Last year, too, I had to run from pillar to post to get a new meter installed in my house,” he said.

According to the bill no. 300302083 issued to Anil, the amount payable against the bill was Rs25,26,410 and if the bill was not paid by due date, then the payable amount was Rs25,97,388. Though the bill reading was of 5794 units.

Heer’s brother also reportedly received a hefty bill of Rs2,22,420. Nearly 20 days ago, the electricity connection of a poor family of Talhan village was also severed, as they couldn’t pay a whopping bill of Rs46,950.

Rs 17.71L fine imposed on defaulters

Jalandhar: Following the directions of A Venu Prasad, CMD PSPCL; Er DPS Grewal, director distribution; and Er Jainender Dania, chief engineer, North Zone, PSPCL, mass raids were conducted to check the connections under the Jalandhar distribution circle. Er HS Bansal, deputy chief engineer, distribution circle, Jalandhar, said as many as 2,376 connections were checked and discrepancies, including power thefts, were noticed. Subsequently, 28 consumers have been penalised. A fine to the tune of Rs17.71 lakh has been imposed on defaulters. FIRs have also been registered against theft cases at the anti-theft police station under Section 135 of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003. Bansal appealed to consumers to not indulge in power theft and if anybody is seen stealing power, information for the same could be registered at 9646116301.