the goan I network
VALPOI
Angry power consumers in different parts of Sattari taluka confronted electricity department officials on Monday after receiving unusually high power bills for their newly installed electricity meters.
Shocked to have received electricity bills ranging from Rs 13,000 to as high as Rs 8 lakh, many consumers rushed to the Valpoi electricity office and confronted the assistant engineer in the matter.
Some even went to the extent of threatening to protest if their erroneous bills were not rectified before August 17, the last day to make the payment.
The aggrieved consumers complained that the problems in power bills has taken place after the electricity department decided to replace the old metres with new digital ones, starting from Valpoi municipality, for the past two months.
The unusually high power bills has left many suspecting the authenticity of meter readings collected by a private company.
Sources said the private company has five meter readers, while the electricity department has nine.
Aggrieved power consumers from Mussorde and surrounding villagers led by social activist Vishwesh Parab also complained about the change in system, making it difficult to rectify their bills.
Sources at the Valpoi electricity office said computer codes had been blocked by the electricity department, making it difficult to revise power bills for over 20 days. Earlier, people in Sattari taluka could get correction of bills done at the Valpoi electricity office itself.
“Some people got power bills ranging from Rs 13,000 to more than Rs 8 lakh. What has also added to the problem is that meter readers do not visit all interior areas regularly to collect meter readings and people have been forced to pay bills with a penalty. Despite complaining to the Valpoi office, the situation has remained the same,” complained Shankar Kaskar, a senior farmer from Dhada in Guleli-Sattari.
Social Activist Vishwesh Parab said there had been repeated complaints from consumers regarding the exorbitant bills since the last two months.
“Earlier, there was a provision to correct erroneous bills in the Valpoi office, but now we have been told that the electricity department has locked the computer codes and it is not possible to rectify power bills in the Valpoi electricity office until the codes are unlocked,” said Parab.
“We have requested the department corrects these faulty bills before August 17, as it is the last day to make the payments,” he added.
Pvt company staff responsible for situation: AE
VALPOI: Claiming that a private company had been involved in replacing old meters with new digital ones, Valpoi Electricity Department Assistant Engineer Sayyad Saudagar said he would, however, notify higher authorities about the erroneous bills.
“The replacement of old meters to new digital meters was undertaken by a private company and as such, the situation which has taken place in Sattari Taluka is not due to department staff, but the private company staff,” explained Saudagar.
“Even then, we will report this situation to our higher authorities and necessary arrangements will be done regarding correction of bills in Sattari Taluka,” said Saudagar.
