Power dept is looting the consumer
Citizen Nooruddin Yalgi, Ponda
I live in Ponda and have been receiving power bills every two months. Now, the power tariff mentioned behind the bills clearly states that we are charged, per unit, Rs 1.20 for use of 1 to 60 units, Rs 1.70 for use of 61 to 250 units, Rs 2.75 from 251 to 500 units and Rs 3.20 for use of above 500 units.
My house utilizes on an average 200 units monthly, so according to the table I should be charged Rs. 1.20 for first 60 units and Rs. 1.70 for the remaining 140 units that we consume for a month. But since the bill is not issued monthly but once in two months, I am billed for 400 units in total.
That means, for the second month, the billing doesn’t start from Rs 1.20 as it should, but from Rs 1.70 for the first 50 units and Rs 2.75 for the remaining 150 units in the second month.
This is nothing but pure loot, and this has been going on for ages. Multiply this by every household and you can imagine the amount of money looted from the people for all these years.
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Electricity bills must be issued monthly
I have received an electricity bill of an unusual amount for a period of four months and 17 days from July 4, 2014 to November 17, 2014.
Though the bill on its reverse side indicates the tariff for different slabs of units consumed, it is difficult for the ordinary citizen to understand whether the tariff as shown is really followed or the calculation is done at a uniform rate. Hence the consumer is left confused. Earlier, when the bills were regularly received every month one could easily calculate and find out whether one has been cheated or billed as per the tariff. Now the bills are issued as per the whims and fancies of the Electricity Department. The department is duty bound to give the breakup of the charges levied month-wise.
Otherwise public complaints of inflated bills will continue and so also the department will have no accountability. The best solution is to issue the bills monthly which will satisfy all and avoid undue burden on the consumers, more so on salaried persons, daily wage earners and pensioners.
