Subscribers of Palli Bidyut Samity in Bauphal are facing problems due to ghost electricity bill for the last three months. They are unable to calculate the correct electricity bill for the last three months as almost every time they are being charged with a bill five or six times higher than the usual.
The subscribers claimed that the employees of Palli Bidyut Samity are preparing ghost bills without calculating it properly by going to their houses. As a result, it has become a problematic situation. They said even if they go to the Palli Bidyut Samity Zonal Office, they don’t get any solution. Rather the employees misbehave with them.
Many sufferers have staged demonstration in front of the Bauphal Zonal office of Patuakhali Palli Bidyut Samity demanding the end of ghost bills with brooms in their hand on Monday. Later they went back home when the Upazila Nirbahi Officer assured them of solving the problem.
It was learnt that for the last three months, the subscribers of Bauphal Zonal Office of Patuakhali Palli Bidyut Samity are being charged five to six times more than the regular bill. The bill increased five to six times more in the same house in one month.
The subscribers complained that 50 to 200 unit of extra electricity are being added in every bill. When they go to the office regarding these unusually high electricity bills, the employees of Palli Bidyut Samity do not give any solution. They give assurance to the subscribers that they will send a correct electricity bill from the next month but it is still limited to assurance only. Rather the employees behave roughly when they to go them the next time.
Md. Delwar Mridha, a subscriber of Palli Bidyut Samity from Dashpara village of the upazila said no one goes to their house to calculate the electricity bill. His electricity bill was Tk 184 in May which suddenly increased to Tk 1376 in June. He claimed that they are making a ghost bill from their office. He went to their office several times, but did not get any solution.
Another subscriber Monir Rahi said he used 35 units of electricity in May and his bill was Tk 235. But the bill increased to Tk 1125 in June. He said even though he used the same amount of electricity in the same house, his bill was raised by preparing a ghost bill.
Nur Hossain, another subscriber from the upazila said his electricity bill in June was almost Tk 1,500 more than his bill in May. He went to their office but did not get any solution either.
Almost every subscriber in the upazila is suffering from these ghost bills. They are going to their office again and again but as the employees do not give any solution, they are facing endless sufferings.
Meanwhile, proof of preparing electricity bill without going to the subscribers’ houses was found. An official on Bauphal Zonal Office, who prefers to not disclose his identity, has given such information. He said that the power lines were severely damaged due to the natural disasters in April and May. Many of their employees are working at the field level to fix the power lines. As a result, they are facing problems regarding the preparation of electricity bills. Moreover, the employees in all the zonal offices are on strike for several months to protest various discriminations, along with their two point demand. They are facing manpower crisis as a result. They are preparing some bills in their office due to this.
AGM of Bauphal Zonal Office Engineer Gagan Saha said Bauphal is a large upazila and there are more than one lakh subscribers. So some error may occur. However, if the subscribers go to their office, they will solve it. When he was asked about the subscribers’ claim that they do not get solution even when they go to the office, Gagan Saha replied that there are manpower crisis. As a result their works progress slowly. The subscribers get angry because of that and leave the office. However if any proof of misbehaviour with any subscriber is found, they will take legal measure, he added.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Bashir Gazi said many subscribers have filed formal complaints regarding the extra electricity bill. They also staged demonstration in front of the Bauphal Zonal Office. The UNO said he spoke with the officials from the Palli Bidyut Office and the officials said they will solve the problem.
