Hundreds of power consumers in Tatibandh area in Raipur city have been put to mental harassment as local electricity office is sending ‘false billings’ for power connections which they have never subscribed or applied.
A senior official admitted that false bills have been generated because of ‘typing error’. In past one month, hundreds of false bills have been generated from Tatibandh office to power consumers against BP numbers which they have never subscribed.
Reports say that officials posted at Tatibandh electricity office located at Ring Road No-2, are extorting money from power consumers to settle the ‘false bills’.
The issue of false billing came to light when a team of electricity department reached Media City near Harshit Nagar recently and asked to settle the bill for a connection which he had never either applied or subscribed. In fact, the journalist submitted all proofs and slips to the electricity team which showed that not a single rupee was pending against his name.
When the matter was taken to local electricity office to know details why was bill raised for a connection which was actually not in existence, Ashish Agnihotri, assistant engineer posted at Tatibandh electricity office, told The Pioneer, “it’s a total mistake from my side, it has happened because of typing error and now I am withdrawing the false bill’.
But sources said that complaints regarding false billing are on the rise and an extortion racket is in operation in Tatibandh area in name of ‘typing error’ and several consumers have been asked to pay certain amount if they want to get over the problem of false billing.