KOCHI: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Thursday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it had decided against disconnecting power supply on grounds of non-payment of power bills during the lockdown period. The Board filed the statement in response to a petition seeking an HC directive to introduce monthly billing system for domestic consumers, instead of the present bi-monthly billing.
Further, KSEB submitted that it has decided to allow domestic consumers to remit at least half of the bill amount for April, May and June 2020 before June 15 or the due date of the bill, whichever is later, and allow two equal instalments of the balance amount in the subsequent monthly or bi-monthly bills, based on their request. There will be no surcharge levied on the belated payment of electricity bills issued, which became due from the time the lockdown commenced, till May 16. A rebate of 25 per cent on fixed charges applicable to all industrial, commercial and private hospitals for the months of March, April and May has been allowed. It was also decided to defer the payment of balance fixed charge up to December 15 without levying interest.
According to the board, the online transaction charges, in applicable cases, will be borne by the KSEB for a period of three months up to July 19. The non-domestic consumers, who were billed on the basis of the previous average consumption, were permitted to remit 70 per cent of the demand as their bill amount if they so desire. Besides, a five per cent cash-back was allowed (subject to a maximum of 100) between May 04 and June 16 for consumers availing themselves of the online payment option for the first time. The decisions were taken as all classes of consumers are experiencing difficulties in paying electricity bills due to the cash crunch on account of the lockdown.
CPI finds fault with KSEB’s billing
T’Puram: The CPI state executive meeting on Wednesday observed that the KSEB’s billing after the lockdown has led to widespread public resentment. The Opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, have made it a campaign tool. The party would ask the government to view the matter seriously. The chief minister should intervene in the issue. A probe should be launched into the matter and the KSEB should be asked to rectify the mistake.