Raipur September 23, 2020. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has given strict instructions to the officials of the Electricity Distribution Company not to issue a lump sum electricity bill to consumers on the stored electricity consumption. In this regard, in some areas of the state, especially in the villages of Vananchal, where consumers could not get meter reading, a complaint was received about the issue of lump sum electricity bill on stored consumption through spot billing. Taking this complaint seriously, the Chief Minister has instructed the officials of the power distribution company to take corrective action immediately. The Chief Minister has clearly directed that no electricity consumption should be billed to any consumer. While issuing the electricity bill, the consumer must be given the benefit of slab exemption and the facility to pay the amount of the actual electricity bill in installments.
It is worth mentioning that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had received a complaint regarding meter reading spot billing in some villages of Narayanpur district like Dholgaon, Bijli Palki, Bakulwahi Sulanga, Sagnitrai Kerala, Paliya, Guria, Karlak, Mahaka and Devgaon. Seeing the lump sum has created confusion among the villagers. When the Chief Minister summoned a response from the officials of the Electricity Distribution Company in connection with this complaint, it was found that meter reading spot billing was done in the said village for the first time. Since the bill appears on the spot in spot billing, this situation has been created. The Department is in the process of revising the spot billing. The benefit of slab exemption and payment of bills in installments will also be provided to rural consumers. The villagers of the said villages will be issued revised bills.
Superintending Engineer Kanker has clarified that the villagers need not be disturbed by seeing the bill printed during spot billing. Amended bills will be issued giving the benefit of slab exemption to the villagers. The Superintending Engineer, Kanker gave an example in this regard, stating that Kaldev, a resident of Bakulwahi village, has a bill of about 61 thousand without slab, which has been changed to just Rs 62 after slab exemption. Therefore, consumers will not be issued wrong bills under any circumstances. After the management comes to the notice, instructions have been issued to release all the bills immediately after slab exemption and payment facility of installments. For this the consumer does not even need to come to the power office. Bills will be issued after slab exemption in bills.
Executive Engineer and Junior Engineer of Narayanpur removed
On the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in the investigation of meter reading spot billing in Narayanpur district, in case of negligence in following the instructions of the management, the executive engineer and junior engineer were removed with immediate effect and they were shifted to Ambikapur. The order has been issued.
Executive Director Jagdalpur reached Narayanpur on 22 September to investigate the complaint of meter reading spot billing in Narayanpur district. During investigation, he found that the management instructions regarding issue of electricity bill were not fully followed, which led to confusion among rural consumers. In this case, prima facie the Executive Engineer and Junior Engineer have been shifted to Ambikapur after being found guilty of negligence.
