Despite the existing cashless payment methods like credit card, e-banking, Pay TM, drafts and electronic payment, all banks refuse to accept electricity bills in the form of cheques.
Firstly, I refuse to accept this reasoning, as clause [2] clearly states, “The full payment to be made within the due date by presenting the bill issued. The payments are also accepted by cheques /DD in favour of Chief Electrical Engineer on the local bank. Cheque payment will be accepted at least clear (2) working days in advance before the due date of payment. No part payments are accepted.”
Despite going 10 days before the due date, the same was refused by banks. Why is the clause not adhered to? Why should a person from village outskirts have to stand for hours at one payment counter at Aquem.
It’s the department’s job to open counters at various places in the town to collect payment by cheques. We are not bothered if the bank earns no business in accepting cheques in place of cash.
Just like the LED bulb issue, the department likes to harass public for small things, as if we have nothing better to do. I know of thousands of people who have not bothered to collect the lousy Rs200 worth of free bulbs due to serpentine queues. Secondly why should one carry large sums of money, be it five or fifty thousand, in cash for payments. We have lots of ‘Cow and dog vigilantes’ in the country but regrettably no ‘people vigilantes’ for our own safety. Electricity dept please take note.
