By Arun Pratap Singh
Haldwani, 11 Apr: In a shocking incident in Haldwani, a consumer has received an electricity bill amounting to Rs 46.60 lakhs merely a month after the installation of a smart meter. The exorbitant bill has not only startled the consumer but has also left the UPCL baffled, while at the same time raising questions regarding the integrity of the smart meters that are proposed to be installed across the state in phases.
This shocking incident occurred with Hansa Dutt Joshi, a resident of Aravali Vatika Chhadayal, Ward No 43 under Haldwani Municipal Corporation. The smart meter was installed at his residence just a month ago, and upon receiving the bill, he was left in disbelief. The staggering amount was far from the expected charges, prompting immediate concern.
Disturbed by the unexpected billing, Joshi lodged a complaint with the UPCL officials. He recounted that employees had installed the smart meter at his residence just a month ago and this was the first bill generated by the smart meter. His online bill reflected an astonishing sum exceeding Rs 46.60 lakhs. Shocked by the figures, he promptly visited the UPCL office in Transport Nagar, where he was redirected to the office in Hiranagar.
Superintending Engineer of the Electricity Department, Naveen Mishra, explained that the old electricity meter had been replaced with a smart meter on 24 March. He claimed that the discrepancy arose in the meter reading due to damage in the LED display of the previous meter, leading to the erroneous calculation. He also claimed that the authorities have launched an investigation into the matter, and in case any negligence is uncovered, strict action will be taken against the agency responsible for installing the meter.
Upon rechecking Joshi’s electricity meter, the department found that his actual electricity bill amounted to approximately Rs 400 only. The consumer has been advised to deposit only the minimum bill amount, resolving the alarming discrepancy. However, several questions have arisen regarding the integrity of the smart meters being installed in the state. The Congress party as well as a large section of the society has been expressing apprehension that the smart prepaid meters would lead to generation of bills of higher amount as compared to the bills being generated by the existing digital meters.
