Centre to send team in Bihar to investigate inflated electricity bill complaints

Darbhanga Town MLA Sanjay Saraogi urged the union energy minister to take stock of the situation as people were consistently complaining about irregularities in billing

A team will be sent by the central government to investigate complaints of people with regard to inflated billing after installation of smart meters, union power minister RK Singh said on Thursday.

The people who have installed the smart meters complained they were being overcharged. (HT file photo)

Darbhanga Town MLA Sanjay Saraogi urged the union energy minister to take stock of the situation as people were consistently complaining about irregularities in billing after installation of prepaid smart meters on their premises.

“It is taking a toll of poor people,” Saraogi said.

Taking cognisance of his complaint, the minister announced that a central team will be sent to Bihar to investigate.

“Several people have installed prepaid meters. The people, who have installed it complained they were being overcharged. We will send a team from the Centre to investigate this issue”, the minister said.

“Each state has a separate electricity department. However, the Centre is giving all the money for development projects. The Centre is bearing half the cost of the meter also. If we find any discrepancy in the investigation, we will get it changed”, the minister said adding that the extra money charged from consumers will be refunded in case of default in meter reading.

The minister, however, said that installation of smart meters was a step forward towards modernisation of power sector.