The Hindu : Billing errors continue to haunt residents

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 26, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Billing errors continue to haunt residents

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 25. Despite repeated claims by the BSES, the discom responsible for distribution of electricity in two-thirds of the Capital, there seems to be no let up in errors in electricity bills being received by the residents of the city. Billing errors apart, a large number of residents are receiving bills for electric meters that no longer exist.

"We have been receiving electricity bills, running into several thousands of rupees, for meters which were disconnected several years ago,'' claimed D.M. Narang, secretary of the New Rajinder Nagar Resident Welfare Association. He gave a list of over 300 such bills.

The residents of Old Rajinder Nagar too are receiving similar bills. "Every time we meet the BSES officials regarding our complaints, we are told to prove that the meter is no longer functioning. They are deliberately sending such bills to collect money from the consumers,'' he alleged. Referring to the number of letters written to the BSES officials in this regard, he added that there was no response from them.

Provisional billing by the BSES is another problem faced by the residents of the area who complained that though the readers come regularly to read the meters, the data is not reflected in the bills.

One such case is of Amarnath Jauhar, a resident of B-88 New Rajinder Nagar, who has been getting provisional bills for the past three months. "The meter is being read at regular intervals. Despite several complaints, they have not taken any remedial measures,'' he said.

Mr. Narang alleged that such errors were being done intentionally to harass the consumers. For instance when Ravinder Kumar Jain (K. No. 114040140213), went to the local complaint centre with his provisional bills, the office register had readings of the meter.

"It was then written on the bill by hand. It shows that the staff is deliberately sending provisional bills to harass us,'' he said.

Ms. Kamlesh Sapra, who too has been receiving provisional bills, said: "One month it is a regular bill and the next month it is provisional. The officials at the local complaint centre are non co-operative. It takes several days to rectify the fault.''

On several occasions, Mr. Narang said, the officials direct the complainants to go to the upper floor and search for the files to get the fault rectified. "What happens if one walks away with such important files,'' he asked.

The RWA has written a letter to the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, Vijai Kapoor, and the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, in this regard.

For their part, BSES officials said: "We are aware of the problem. We have recently submitted to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission that there would be no billing errors from April 1.''

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