VIJAYAWADA: The State government has decided to give time to consumers to pay their electricity bills of May until June 30, an extension of 45 days, without any penalty or disconnection of service, Energy Secretary Nagulapalli Srikant said.
Reiterating that the power bills were not inflated, the department has also decided to write letters to 1.45 crore electricity consumers in the State explaining the situation, besides carrying out random bill checks to clear the apprehensions among people.
Srikant, who held a teleconference with power distribution companies (Discoms) on Wednesday, directed them to carry out random checking of electricity bills to explain facts on bills issued for March and April.
Appealing to consumers not to believe rumours of excess billing, Srikant said that even as the department was confident and sincere on the electricity bills, it is the responsibility of officials to clear the doubts of consumers.
“I request consumers not to believe the rumours and to consult respective authorities for their queries,” he said.
The secretary also asked CMDs of Discoms to put the details of electricity consumption of all 1.45 consumers for the last two years on Discoms’ websites soon.
He said though the industrial and commercial activity has remained closed due to COVID-19 imposed lockdown and summer, the electricity demand reached to 150 MU per day because of the enormous increase in domestic consumption.
“We have to explain to people about the facts behind the electricity bills for which we are going to write letters to each and every consumer in the State soon,” he said.
The officials informed the secretary that the apprehensions that the domestic consumers were billed excess as the meter readings were not taken for the months of March and April were false.
“Some people are falsely claiming that the electricity bills for the consumption of March and April were clubbed. In fact, the total consumption of the two months was divided on 50:50 ratio and old tariff category was applied to March and new tariff category to April consumption,” the officials said.
They also said the slab rates depend of monthly electricity consumption during the present financial year (2020-21) which benefit consumers to get low electricity bills. In 2019-20, the slab rates were calculated based on consumption of the previous year. “The Discoms prepared separate bills for March and April based on the consumption and no excess amounts were added to the bills. In view of this, the question of excess billing will not arise as per new tariff order,” the officials said. The department has already provided a toll free number 1912 and deputed a special officer for every district to redress the grievances of consumers, the officials noted.
5% rebate on property tax
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development department has issued an order extending five per cent rebate on property tax for financial year 2020-21 to be paid for the entire year on or before June 30.
According to the order issued by secretary J Syamala Rao on Wednesday, the relief will also apply to those who have paid the property tax in full for the entire year from May 1.
“It was also ordered to give the same relief to the taxpayers who have already paid the property tax for the entire current financial year from May 1... by adjusting the excess payment made by them to the next financial year,” said the Government Order.