COIMBATORE: Tangedco imposed CGST and SGST tariffs in electricity bills for customers who shifted meter boxes or installed new ones, with no prior information, causing a stir at their section offices. P Balaji, a consumer, told TNIE, “My bill amounted to Rs 420, but the staff at section office near Bharathiar University gave me a receipt for Rs 521. It showed CGST and SGST rates of Rs 49.50 each. The staff and higher officials couldn’t explain this.”
He said TANGEDCO should have informed consumers about the charges in advance. “My electricity bill was Rs 62, but I paid Rs 135, including Rs 74 as GST. Even as consumers sought an explanation, the staff didn’t respond well,” said R Muthusamy, another consumer
TANGEDCO Chief Engineer (Coimbatore region) E David Jebasingh said they were not aware of what caused the difference in the GST charges. Suspecting technical issues, he promised to look into the issue.
According to an official sources, GST was implemented in 2017 and TANGEDCO had upgraded its billing software in 2019. Some consumers availed new meters that cost Rs 100 as application charge and Rs 75 as testing charge. TNEB is now charging consumers 18 per cent under GST across the State for these application and testing charges and not on their electricity usage. But, some consumers pointed out they paid a GST amount that was unrelated to the meter boxes.
TNEB Thozilalar Poriyalar Aykkiya Sangam secretary K Veerasamy told TNIE, “TANGEDCO should have informed about GST charges via a letter to consumers and all section offices. As the staff collected GST charges based on computer data without prior information, the unwanted tension picked up.”