West Bengal power minister Sovan Deb Chatterjee stunned after seeing his power bill
People protest against inflated electricity bills
Kolkata: From common man to ministers, none were saved from the exaggerated electricity bills which left the residents of Kolkata in a shock. West Bengal's Power Minister Sovan Deb Chatterjee is one of the complainants who have claimed to have received an exorbitant electricity bill.
Expressing shock, Sovan Deb Chatterjee said the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) must justify the inflated electricity charges during the lockdown period.
Speaking on this, Chatterjee said, "I have been flooded with complaints on exaggerated billing by the CESC. I have asked them to either justify why they are charging so much or adjust the bills accordingly." He added, "I request the CESC to officially release a press statement announcing the increase in their fees."
CESC, a private firm that supplies electricity to Kolkata, has 33 lakh customers in the city. It has faced huge challenges during the cyclone Amphan which left the poles and wires uprooted. The restoration work took days, leaving many in several pockets of Kolkata without water and electricity supply.
Dr Lakshmi N, a Kolkata resident believes that power bills given must be investigated. She says, "We are really worried about the electricity bill this month. The bills used to be between Rs 900 to Rs 1000 and now we have received the power bill of Rs 4,500 this month. This will be very difficult for a common man to afford."
"They are asking us to pay in installments but why I would pay Rs 4,500 to them when I haven't used that much? CESC is oppressing us, this must be investigated," she added.
The unexpected power bills have triggered protests against the CESC. Slamming the Central and the state governments, people have demanded that electricity be provided for free.
CESC Managing Director Debashish Banerjee explained, "We are not overcharging. Last two months, we charged less than consumption. This month, the unbilled amount of the last two months was added to this month's charges. We are offering an option of payment in installments."
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured action to grant relief to the people.