CCI Jammu delegation calls on MD JPDCL, discusses consumers’ issues
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: President Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI) Arun Gupta alongwith its office bearers namely Anil Gupta, Sr. Vice President, Rajeev Gupta, Jr. Vice President, Manish Gupta, Secretary General, Rajesh Gupta, Secretary and Rajesh Gupta, Treasurer on Tuesday called on the Managing Director Jammu Power Development Corporation Shiv Anand Tayal.
During interaction Arun Gupta raised various pressing issues relating to inflated power bills which are causing distress and unease among the honest consumers and urged the MD JPDCL to immediately stop the installation of smart meters/prepaid meters till the complaints of excess billing of these meters is sorted out to the satisfaction of the general public(consumers).
Arun Gupta asked the MD JPDCL that in case it is utmost necessary to install the smart meters, the consumers /house owner should be intimated first before installation of said meters and the department must show the tag of meter tested as “OK” to the owner of the house, besides the meter must be installed in the premises of the house owner at a suitable and moderate height.
Arun further apprised the MD JPDCL that PDD should issue clearance certificate regarding previous power bills before installing the new smart meters and the meter reading of both the new as well as existing meters be conveyed to the concerned consumers.
Gupta further briefed the MD JPDCL that when the government is abolishing 15% Electricity duty, the benefit of the same should be passed on to the consumers instead of merging the same with the unit rates and it should also be guaranteed that government will not reintroduce the electricity duty subsequently through a government order.
Arun further apprised the MD JPDCL that our Industrial Units of R.S.Pura area (Sunderpur) are facing lot of problems / huge losses due to power shut down from 33KVA Miran Sahib. We request that power shut down if required should be arranged from 11KVA station Sunderpur instead of 33KVA Miran Sahib.
Arun referred a case of excess billing of an honest consumer who used to received the electricity bill round about 900 per month before the installation of smart meters and he has cleared all the dues up to date. But after the installation of smart meter he has received the electricity bill of Rs. 65000.
Managing Director JPDCL acting promptly got the aforesaid bill verified. After verification the department clarified that the bill has been generated due to fault and corrected the said bill from Rs. 65000 to Rs 20000.
Arun Gupta said that there are so many other cases of honest consumers which need to be verified by the department so that the consumers could pay their electricity dues without any harassment.
