Team Herald
MANDREM: When Keshav Mandrekar of Deulwada Mandrem received his electricity bill of more than Rs 57 lakh on Thursday, he could well have been left wondering whether to sell his house to pay his electricity bill.
However, social media reactions resulted in quick rectification. The power department on Friday issued a rectified bill of Rs 991.
Keshav Mandrekar is unemployed while his wife works in office of Maharashtra state transport.
His bill amounting to Rs 57,36,285 was broken up approximately into energy charges of Rs 44 lakh, FPPCA of more than Rs 10 lakh, electricity duty of Rs 1.98 lakh and public lighting duty of close to Rs 50,000. Interestingly the meter reading was not mentioned. AVG (Average) was inserted in the meter reading difference column.
Keshav Mandrekar along with his wife stays in their old ancestral house but hardly uses any electronic gadgets or appliances. Mandrekar said that he was shocked when he saw the bill amounting to such a huge amount for a domestic connection in a two member family home.
“Yesterday I received my electricity bill. When I saw the bill amount, I got shocked seeing amount of Rs 57.36 lakh. I usually get bill with nominal amount of Rs 700-800. Upon receiving, I visited the Agarwada office of the electricity department and inquired with the clerk who claimed that it could have happened due to faulty meter or the meter reader must have calculated the average amount in case if there was no power,” Mandrekar said.
“I even showed them the bill of last month which is already paid. The clerk then told that they will put it for correction as soon as possible but did not take the copy of bill, which is when I felt suspicious and using social media, shared it expecting some action,” he added.
Mandrekar said that it can be a clerical or typing mistake. But in case if it is fault of the agency, then it should be blacklisted because such mistakes cannot be accepted.
