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Plaints of LESA overcharging consumers under probe
Numerous consumers have accused Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) of not only overcharging, but also harassing them in the name of releasing power connections
Plaints of LESA overcharging consumers under probe
HT Correspondent
Lucknow
Geeta Singh, a resident of Bamrauli Dubagga in Lucknow, had recently applied for power supply to her house constructed on a 500-square-feet land. The energy department gave her an estimate of ₹17.24 lakh. Upon lodging a complaint on the CM portal about the harassment, the estimate was revised to ₹2.24 lakh.
Numerous consumers have accused Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) of not only overcharging, but also harassing them in the name of releasing power connections. Moreover, residents of undeveloped colonies said they are made to run from pillar to post and given unusually high estimates.
Vishal Srivastava, a resident of Ashok Vihar Colony in Faizullaganj, said LESA engineers gave him wrong estimates. Many residents of the colony are forced to live without power as they say that LESA engineers charge more than the fixed rate for poles, wire transformers, etc.
Similar complaints were also lodged by residents of Bakshi Ka Talab, Chinhat, Mohanlalganj, Cess I, Cess II and Cess IV (Malihabad) divisional areas from where the city is expanding. About 125 requests for new connections come daily from these places. In the developed areas, this figure is close to 25.
Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad Avadhesh Kumar Varma said applicants from the new colonies have already paid crores of rupees in excess of the actual estimates.
He said that the U.P. Power Corporation has started an investigation to find out the actual amount overcharged by its engineers. The amount will be adjusted in the bills of consumers.
It is speculated that Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation has fed code-wise rates of every equipment in the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to make the estimates fit according to the cost data book. But here the engineers prepare estimates on the basis of stock issue rate, which is only applicable in government schemes.
Transgomti chief engineer Anil Kumar Tiwari said there is a provision to make the estimates of consumers on the basis of the cost data book. The engineers who violate this order will be punished, he added.
Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad has demanded suspension of officials found guilty of overcharging for connections. Its chairman recently met the chief of Power Corporation M. Devraj. The latter assured him that the excess amount that the consumers paid will be adjusted in their bills.
