India

UP Villager Gets Rs 128 Crore Electricity Bill

By
OB Bureau

An Uttar Pradesh villager was handed an electricity bill of more than Rs 128 crore. The electricity department has also cut off supply to his home allegedly because he failed to pay the bill.

Shamim, who stays with his wife at Chamri in Hapur, around 80 km away from Delhi, claimed that he had approached the electricity department to rectify the exorbitant amount charged to him. But officials told him to pay the bill before they could resume supply to his home, reported news agency ANI.

The amount printed on the bill is Rs 128,45,95,444 for a home connection of 2 kilowatt. “We only use fan and light. How can the amount be so high,” he asked.

Shamim said he gets an average monthly bill of only around Rs 700 to Rs 800. “But now it seems that the electricity department wants me to pay the bill for the whole of Hapur,” he said. “When we went to complain about it, we were told that they won’t resume our electricity connection unless we pay the bill.”

When contacted, an engineer with the electricity department said it was “no big deal”, adding that the “technical fault” will be rectified once the bill is sent back to the department.

“This must be a technical fault. If they provide us with the bill we will issue them an updated one after rectifying the technical fault in the system. This is no big deal. Technical faults do take place,” the engineer, Ram Sharan, told ANI.

Fatal Precedent

In May last year, a vegetable vendor in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad committed suicide after he was charged Rs 8.64 lakh. The power distribution firm said the error had occurred because of a missing decimal point.

Jagannath Nehaji Shelke (36) allegedly hung himself after he was distressed over the bill despite several visits to the state-run power distribution firm.

The firm initially distanced itself from the vendor’s suicide, but later suspended an account assistant for alleged dereliction of duty.

In January this year, a man from Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj was sent an electricity bill for Rs 23 crore. His home electricity connection was for a total of 2 kilowatts.

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Imtiaz Ali’s U-Turn About Firing Crew Member To Ensure Alia Bhatt’s Safety On ‘Highway’ Sets

Mumbai: Hours after stating that he had to fire a crew member on the sets…

November 23, 2024

Maharashtra Polls: Swara Bhasker Alleges EVM Manipulation After Husband Fahad Loses Close Contest

Mumbai: In keeping with the trend across Maharashtra, the Mahayuti coalition’s candidate won the Anushakti…

November 23, 2024

Bassist Mohini Dey Breaks Silence On AR Rahman Link-Up Rumours

Mumbai: Celebrated musician AR Rahman’s grey divorce, after 29 years of marriage to Saira Banu,…

November 23, 2024

Odisha Cabinet Approves Proposal To Amend Universities Act To Ensure Transparency, Autonomy

Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards strengthening higher education, the state Cabinet on Saturday approved…

November 23, 2024

America Moving Towards Bankruptcy, Warns Elon Musk; Why Is He Saying So?

New York: As talk about the United States of America’s (USA) mounting debts are doing…

November 23, 2024

Jharkhand Polls: Odisha Guv Raghubar Das’ Daughter-In-Law Reclaims Home Turf

Rachi/Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Raghubar Das’ daughter-in-law Purnima Das Sahu has won from Jamshedpur East Assembly…

November 23, 2024

Perth Test: Jaiswal (90*), Rahul (62*) Put India On Top As 3 Wkts Fall On Day 2 After 17 On First Day

Perth: Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (batting 90) and KL Rahul (batting 62) put up a stellar…

November 23, 2024

2 Maoist Dumps Busted, Explosives & Other Articles Seized In Odisha’s Boudh

Boudh: In a major success in anti-naxal operation, security personnel have unearthed two Maoist dumps…

November 23, 2024