Non-consumers slapped with electricity bills in Balangir MONDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2011 22:47 PNS | BALANGIR HITS: 3 User Rating: / 0

Non-consumers slapped with electricity bills in Balangir
MONDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2011 22:47 PNS | BALANGIR HITS: 3
User Rating: / 0
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Tarasia Khamari of Sibtala village under Chudapali section was surprised to receive an electricity bill (NoC4627474) of `938 towards his consumption for last September. Reason: His house was not connected with electricity under the Kutir Jyoti Programme.

Khamari was not the only man to get such a bill. More than 175 villagers of Sibtala gram panchayat under the Chudapali electric section received such bills and were asked to make payment.

In a majority of the cases, either the meter was not installed after electricity connection or the connection itself was made to the houses. But the villagers were asked to pay the electricity dues, rued a labour union leader Lalit Nayak on Saturday last.

As per the rules, after the section officer’s verification and certification about a new connection, the consumer is issued a bill. But in this case, WESCO officials made the bills bypassing the norms, Nayak alleged.