BHUBANESWAR: Members of the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) on Thursday staged a massive protest outside the office of Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) here seeking immediate withdrawal of the additional security deposit imposed on consumers.
The protesters demanded that consumers who have already paid the additional security deposit to the company be provided a refund along with interest.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the notice iinflicted extra financial burden on the public. “A delegation of BYJD and BCJD met TPCODL chief executive officer (CEO) Arvind Singh to discuss the issue. However, he did not give any assurance on withdrawing the additional security deposit,” Mohanty said.
The BJD also targeted TPCODL over unannounced power cuts in urban and rural areas. Later, the delegation also submitted a memorandum to OERC chairman Pradeep Jena alleging that the additional security deposit notice by TPCODL had triggered widespread resentment among the consumers. Terming the notice as unjust, they urged the OERC chairman to ensure its immediate withdrawal.
The memorandum also demanded that forceful installation of smart meters be immediately stopped and no consumer be compelled to accept it until concerns regarding inflated billing and metering accuracy were satisfactorily addressed. It also sought a revision of the existing tariff to provide relief to consumers in the backdrop of mounting public grievances on over-billing.
The BJD urged the OERC to treat this as an urgent public interest issue and take immediate regulatory action to restore public confidence and protect the rights of the electricity consumers of the state.