Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 20
Those who paid their electricity bills through debit cards on the last date were charged the late fee at the Sampark Centres.
While the Administration had announced not to accept more than Rs 2,000 in cash for the payment of power/water bills from August 1, 2017, the Electricity Department failed to communicate the same to the Sampark Centres that the last date for depositing the bills through cash and debit cards would remain same.
A resident of Sector 15, Sanjay, was surprised when he was told to pay the late fee. He said: “I had gone to deposit the bill on August 14, which was the last date. A clerk at the centre refused to accept the cash as the bill was more than Rs 2,000. When I paid the bill through the debit card, they charged me
Rs 451 extra.” “I didn’t know that I was supposed to pay the bill two days before the last date if I wanted to use my debit card,” he said.
An official at the Sampark Centre Anil K Parashar said it was not their fault as the centre followed the instructions of department concerned.
Now, they have taken up the matter with the Department of the Engineering to clarify the same.
The department fixes two dates for the payment.
One by a cheque and the other by cash. Those paying the bill by a cheque have to do it in advance. Ajay Jagga, an advocate, said the dates of payment by cash or card should be the same.