MAPUSA
Questioning the steep electricity bills received by several households, Colvale residents along with Sarpanch Ritesh Varkhandkar marched to the Electricity Department office in Mapusa on Monday and urged officials to verify the bills and provide relief to consumers before Ganesh Chaturthi.
The villagers alleged that electricity bills were not being delivered on a monthly basis, with several consumers receiving bills after a gap of two or even three months.
They said the accumulation of dues was putting considerable financial pressure on households, particularly those from low-income families.
Varkhandkar said the delayed billing was one of the major reasons for the sudden increase in the amount payable by consumers. He urged the department to ensure that bills are issued every month so that residents are not burdened with accumulated dues.
“The bills are sent with increased rates, which puts untold hardship on residents. How can people pay bills of Rs 8,000 and Rs 6,000? There has to be some rationality while issuing the bills,” Varkhandkar said.
A large number of residents accompanied the sarpanch to the office of the Assistant Engineer and sought immediate intervention to resolve the issue.
One resident claimed that electricity bills had doubled over the past four months.
“Households that used to receive bills of around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 are now getting bills of Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000,” he said.
The residents said receiving bills for several months together made it difficult for families to manage their monthly household expenses. They also pointed out that some families earning around Rs 10,000 a month were receiving electricity bills as high as Rs 6,000.
“It has become very difficult for us to manage household expenses,” another resident said.
In a memorandum submitted to the Assistant Engineer, the residents sought verification and revision of electricity bills issued during the last four months, particularly in cases where consumers suspected errors or abnormal charges.
They also demanded that any additional tariff or penalty imposed due to delayed delivery of bills be waived and that monthly billing be restored for all consumers.
The memorandum, signed by more than 50 residents, further sought special relief for Below Poverty Line (BPL) households and other low-income families.
The residents warned that if the department failed to take action within 15 days, they would be forced to launch a peaceful protest.
