Power consumers in tizzy as dept moves to penalise load increases

MARGAO

Power consumers are in a state of panic with the Power department initiating a drive to check increase in load by issuing notices and seeking compliance with the instructions within 15 days.

Beleaguered consumers have pointed out with no assistance coming from the Power department to prepare and upload the file, they have been left at  the mercy of agents charging consumers around Rs 2000 to create a file.

When The Goan brought the situation to the notice of the Superintending Engineer, Rajiv Samant, he said the consumers need not panic, but should instead approach the power department for any assistance to prepare the file.

A resident of Benaulim Roque Fernandes told the media at the Aquem Power House on Monday morning that the Power department has been issuing disconnection notices to the consumers for increasing the load. 

“Most of the consumers have not done any illegally in the sense there is no parallel connection taken by them. All the points in the households are connected to the meter”, he said.

He, however, hastened to add that power consumers are left at the mercy of agents who charge anything between Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 to prepare and upload the file. Power  Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar has should look into the issue. Do not put the consumers at the mercy of agents. The department should take care of the customers by opening a help desk at the department to assist consumers to prepare and upload the files”, he said.

Roque further said he has been receiving power bills amounting to Rs 5000 and Rs 10000 before receiving the disconnection notice.

When asked to shed light on the situation, SE Rajiv Samant said the Regulatory Commission had levied fixed charges as per the load for single and three phase connection. “Now the people have increased the load, but the same is not reflected in the system. We have taken the drive to check the increase in load by issuing notices of 15 days time for compliance. If customers want extra time, they should give in writing to the department seeking one  month time to comply with the directions”, he said.

While asking the consumers not to panic, Samant said the department officials will help the consumers to resolve  their issues. “If consumers have applied and their documents  need to be uploaded, they can come at any time and meet the officials for assistance”, he said.

He declined to comment when his attention was drawn to agents fleecing the beleaguered power consumers, saying that he has no comment if consumers go to private parties to prepare the file. “I will put up a proposal to the department to provide assistance to the consumers when they come with the file to upload in the system”, he added.