Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, took to Twitter to extend his apologies to a disgruntled consumer who had raised concerns about receiving an inflated electricity bill.
The consumer, Golap Borah, hailing from the Gohpur area of the state, had expressed shock over receiving a staggering bill of Rs 44,000 from the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (@apdclsocial), despite having a load of only 1 KW in the month of June.
Promptly addressing the complaint, Chief Minister Sarma responded to the consumer’s tweet, stating that the matter had been thoroughly examined. It was determined that the meter reading was accurate and conducted using the Esuvidha system.
However, it was discovered that the issue stemmed from an accumulated reading due to the negligence of the meter reader, Dilip Rajkhowa, who had previously underbilled the consumer.
Chief Minister Sarma clarified that the bill received by Golap Borah was a result of the meter reader’s failure to generate a bill based on the actual consumption.
This oversight led to an enhanced bill amount being issued. Recognizing the inconvenience caused, the Chief Minister sincerely apologized for the mishap.
In Assam, the power department has implemented smart prepaid meters predominantly in urban areas. These meters were intended to streamline the billing process and provide consumers with more accurate readings.
However, numerous consumers have voiced their dissatisfaction with the system, citing inflated power bills following the installation of these prepaid meters.
The incident involving Golap Borah serves as an example of the challenges faced in ensuring accurate billing and highlights the need for diligent meter reading practices to avoid discrepancies in electricity bills. (Edited)
