KSEBOA - KSEB Officers' Association

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Private discoms continuously give nightmares to Delhi CM. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit , who also holds the power portfolio, questioned BSES CEO Arun Kanchan on why disconnection notices were being served to consumers despite government directives that no action can be taken for non-payment of bills till October 31. Taken aback, Kanchan told the CM that he would look into the issue.

Dikshit's displeasure came at a function where advisor to the government (Commonwealth Games) S R Sethi was being sworn in as a member of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). Sources said that the CM had received a number of complaints from residents welfare associations (RWAs) about disconnection notices served to them by BSES even as their bills were disputed for June-August period. "I do not know why people are being served disconnection notices. You have to ask them (BSES),'' said Dikshit when asked about the notices.

A number of residents told TOI that they had paid their highly exaggerated bills for the June-August period, fearing disconnection especially with Diwali just two days away. Many said that their outstanding bills from June and July were added to the August and September bills, accompanied with disconnection notices. "Diwali is round the corner and who wants to face disconnection during the festival of lights? People are literally being bullied into paying these inflated bills,'' said Mayank Gupta, a resident of Kalkalji. Pankaj Aggarwal from Joint Front RWAs added that the disconnection notices were system generated but people were too apprehensive to ignore them.

"I received a disconnection notice a fortnight ago saying that I have to pay my outstanding bill by October 3 otherwise I will face disconnection. Newspapers have advertised that disputed bills need not be paid till the end of the month. I went to the business manager's office but was told that payment is mandatory. Now, we have complained to the CM,'' said Anil Sehgal, a Safdarjung Enclave resident who got a bill of Rs 22,000.

A number of residents complained that they were being harassed by the discom to pay their bill, disputed or not, at the earliest. "The matter has come to our notice and we have to check that if disconnection notices are being served, they are for what period and what is written in the notice. We are looking into the issue,'' said power secretary Rajender Kumar. The government clarified that no action will be taken for non-payment of bills till the end of the month.

Source - Times of India