Tata’s energy invoice blow to customers in Odisha

By Express News Service
ROURKELA: The Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Ltd (TPWODL) has been within the eye of a storm over inflated vitality payments and alleged use of coercive strategies to gather the dues in Rourkela.Locals alleged that Thursday’s incident the place the discom’s invoice assortment employees allegedly assaulted an aged lady and her son over pending electrical energy invoice is a living proof. Often customers are pressurised to pay instantly earlier than their grievances are heard and at occasions, TPWODL staff resort to high-handedness whereas coping with customers, they alleged.  

On Thursday, an aged lady Parbati Das and her son Saroj of Jail Road have been allegedly assaulted by TPWODL staff in public view  and threatened to disconnect their energy provide after they protested the inflated invoice.RN Pali police station IIC BK Bihari stated a instances have been registered on the complaints from each side. The TPWODL lineman Amit Bagachi alleged he was attacked and prevented from performing obligation.  But it’s not simply Parbati and her son who confronted TPWODL wrath for protesting inflated energy payments, the checklist of harassed customers is lengthy.  

A non-public worker Raghubir Singh stated he used to get month-to-month invoice of Rs 250 to Rs 300 however now he has acquired a invoice for 2 months amounting to Rs 7,000. Unable to pay, he requested the employees to inform him the rationale however to no avail.Similarly, a businessman Parshan Agarwal stated for his three-phase connection he used to pay a mean of Rs 5,000 per thirty days however now he acquired a month’s invoice of Rs 12,000. He stated after TPWODL took over, meter studying is rarely carried out usually and customers are requested to pay inflated payments. In the absence of grievance redressal by the discom, Agarwal was requested to foot the invoice instantly however he determined not to take action and lift the difficulty with increased authorities of the discom.

TPWODL Superintendent Engineer AN Meher reasoned that after TPWODL’s arrival the kVAh-based billing methodology was launched and as a result of technical motive of ‘poor power factor’, three-phase clients with out capacitor banks acquired payments that have been three to 4 occasions increased. Consumers who, as per the settlement with TPWODL, mounted capacitor banks are receiving regular payments, he stated.

As far as home customers are involved, Meher stated as a result of pandemic, bodily studying of meters was not carried out from April and customers have been issued invoice for 3 months at a time. He refuted the allegations of high-handedness by TPWODL staff and stated for the corporate, customers are high precedence.