Ministry of Power issues statement amid high electricity bills, shares grievance helpline

The Ministry of Power has extended their support to residents of Mumbai after the increasing complaints about the unexpected hike in the monthly tariff in their June 2020 bill. There has been an uproar on social media where netizens have been posting pictures of their electricity bills which have an outstanding amount three to ten times their usual electricity bills. Bollywood celebrities including actors Taapsee Pannu, Renuka Shahane,  Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Vir Das, and many others have raised their voices and expressed shock at their June bill amounts.

Through their official Twitter handle on Tuesday, the RK Singh-led Ministry of Power has issued a statement addressing their grievances and shared a helpline number for the 'faulty bills.

The statement reads, "Electricity is a concurrent subject & responsibility of distribution rests with States. Govt. of India facilitates efforts of States to provide power to consumers in an improved manner.Kindly contact State authorities/Discom in case of issues related to faulty bills or dial 1912"

 Read | As 'inflated' electricity bills leave Mumbaikers shocked, netizens say ‘seh lenge thoda’

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Bollywood actors Taapsee Pannu, Renuka Shahane, Huma Qureshi and director Bijoy Nambiar are among several people who have expressed concerns over the unexpected rise in their electricity bills during the lockdown. Taapsee Pannu expressed shocked with a 835% rise in her electricity bill for the month of June as she shared pictures of May '20 bill of Rs 3850 and June bill of Rs 36000. Huma Qureshi, on the other hand, said she was puzzled that her bill jumped to Rs 50,000 when it was Rs 6,000 last month. 

Read | Taapsee Pannu and Bollywood celebs get explanation & EMI option for high Mumbai power bill

Power Company's explanation

A spokesperson from Adani Power Ltd. said the team has re-started physical meter reading which was halted in March because of COVID-19. "Bills were generated on lower side being an average of preceding three months, that is December, January and February, which are winter months. Actual consumption in the months of April, May and June is comparatively higher due to seasonal impact (summer) and increased usage (advent of Lockdown/WfH)," the statement read. 

The company claimed that the consumers will now start receiving bills based on their consumption with "appropriate tariff slab benefits." "The bill amount for the past period shall be accounted as per Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) guidelines," the statement added.

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