MANAS SAMAL, OP
Tangi-Jagatpur: A family in Kataka’s Choudwar area has alleged that their electricity bill increased sharply after a solar power system was installed at their house. Anuradha Samal of Sri Vihar area under Agrahat panchayat and Choudwar police station limits raised the issue at the Kataka district collector’s public grievance hearing Monday.
According to her complaint, the family’s monthly electricity bill used to range between Rs 800 and Rs 900 before the solar system was installed. However, a bill of Rs 9,907 was issued for just 39 days after the installation, prompting the family to raise doubts over the meter reading and billing.
The family had lodged a complaint with the electricity department September 3, but alleged that no departmental staff visited the house to inspect the meter. The consumer subsequently checked the meter reading herself. During the inspection, only a pedestal fan and a ceiling fan were running, while an inverter was being charged, she said.
The meter reading was 1,809 units at the time and rose to 1,816 units about two hours later, she claimed. Samal said she also recorded a video of the increase in the meter reading. A written complaint was subsequently lodged at Choudwar police station September 5, she said.
The family has also raised questions over the installation of the solar system and the replacement of the electricity meter with a smart meter without its permission.
Samal submitted the details and supporting evidence to Kataka Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde at the public grievance hearing and sought an immediate inquiry. The collector directed the concerned sub-divisional offi cer to conduct an on-site inspection within two days and resolve the issue. The actual reason for the sharp increase in the meter reading, electricity consumption and bill will become clear after the departmental inspection, offi cials said.
