Jhuggi dweller in P’kula gets Rs6.35 lakh shocker

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 15

An inflated electricity bill of Rs 6.35 lakh has been giving sleepless nights to a vegetable vendor residing at Gandhi Colony in Mansa Devi Complex here.

Rajeshwar Shiv Charn ran from pillar to post seeking redressal of his grievance for the past 11 months but to no avail. The stress showed an effect on his small-time business too.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Rajeshwar said his ordeal began in October last year when he received a bill of Rs 2,23,461 even as the electricity meter installed at his jhuggi showed only 35 units of power having been consumed during the period for which the bill was raised. He said when he contacted the SDO concerned, he was directed to pay a minimum of Rs 10,000 with an assurance that the bill would be rectified later after checking the records.

Rajeshwar said in March this year, he received another inflated bill. At Rs 6,16,540, it was three times the previous bill and the meter showed only 103 units having been consumed. He said he again contacted the authorities and they told him to deposit Rs 10,000, reassuring him of rectifying the bill.

The small-time vendor said he was in for yet another shock in May this year when the power department slapped a bill of Rs 6,35,372 on him. He said he was eking out a living by selling vegetables. He said he had a TV, a fan, a refrigerator and a tubelight as the only electric items at his place. The vendor said he had been making rounds of the offices of the power department till May this year but the department failed to resolve the issue. 

He said he stopped visiting the electricity department for the fear that he would again be asked to deposit Rs 10,000, which was not possible for him as he had earlier made the payments after borrowing money from his relatives and friends.

Executive Engineer Sanjeev Siwach said there could be some fault in the billing process, which would be looked into on Monday as the offices were closed for two days being Saturday and Sunday. He said there must be some ambiguity as the complainant had also deposited part payments. It would become clear only after taking up the case with the SDO concerned, he added.