Gurgaon residents bitter about paying power bills of non-existent meters

The open camp by the electricity department on Tuesday provided a platform for residents to communicate their grievances that the authorities generally do no listen to.

The open camp by the electricity department on Tuesday provided a platform for residents to communicate their grievances that the authorities generally do no listen to. Several complainants said most of the issues are not resolved because of the negligence of the power discom authorities.

A 69-year-old resident of Palam Vihar received a notice with an accumulated bill of `1.4 lakh for an electricity meter that was in the name of the previous owner of his property. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Narinder Grover, a former defence official, living in Kendriya Vihar, Sector 56, said an electric meter in his name was fixed somewhere else. The meter accumulated a bill of `4.5 lakh over a few years.

When Grover contacted the discom, he was asked to pay fresh registration charges for a new meter.

“I am a retired defence personnel. I neither have so much money nor energy to travel to far away discom offices to solve the problem created by the department officials. I do not have any means to do that,” Grover said.

In a similar case, a 69-year-old resident of Palam Vihar received a notice with an accumulated bill of `1.4 lakh for an electricity meter that was in the name of the previous owner of his property.

However, despite being allotted a new connection and new meter, Chauhan keeps receiving bills for the old connection that does not exist anymore. The amount has accumulated to `1.4 lakh and the discom even disconnected his new connection four times in last three years in the name of arrears.

“Discom officials have failed to close the old non-existing meter and they are imposing penalties for non-payment of the bill. They are also appropriating payments made by me for the new connection to the old, non-existent connection,” Chauhan said.