CHENNAI: As lakhs of power consumers across the state are unable to pay their bills, offline or online, due to issues over linking of Aadhaar with their electricity service number, Tangedco has extended the due date for paying bills by two days for all those whose last date falls between November 24 and 30. It, however, is yet to make an official announcement.
Tangedco’s chief financial controller (revenue) K Malarvizhi on Thursday instructed all superintending engineers “to give extension of time for all categories of consumers who are required to link Aadhaar.” Power consumers, however, expressed resentment over not being given enough time for linking Aadhaar with their consumer numbers.
“The central government gave more time to link Aadhaar with PAN card and bank accounts, but the state-owned power utility has not given consumers sufficient time to do it. We have decided to file a case in the high court over the issue,” says Coimbatore Consumer Cause secretary K Kathirmathiyon.
Tangedco offices are refusing to collect current consumption (CC) charge from consumers who did not link their consumer number with Aadhaar. “We have lodged complaints against the power utility with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission,” Kathirmathiyon told TNIE.
“Tenants are the worst hit as house owners may not be available locally or even within the country. In some cases, owners may use it as a tool to force tenants to vacate,” he said. He also said the licensee, Tangedco, has no business to issue such instructions. Let the government, which is giving the subsidy, fix a time limit for people to link Aadhaar,” he said.
If CC charges are not paid, they will threaten to disconnect the line. Is it not an atrocity? It is nothing but blackmailing innocent, poor consumers. How can the licensee expect all consumers to link their Aadhaar in a matter of days, Kathirmathiyon asked. “If consumers could not make a payment due to non-linking of Aadhaar and are affected, they are all eligible for compensation to be paid by the licensee as per electricity act,” he said.
M Srinivasan (70), a resident of Tharamani in Chennai, who visited the Tangedco office on Thursday to pay his power bill, was not allowed to pay as the connection was not linked to Aadhaar. The elderly man’s sons and daughters are in foreign countries and he needs assistance to link the service number. Srinivasan is now worried over the possibility of his line being disconnected due to non-payment of bill. A senior Tangedco officer, however, said they are just following the instructions of the state government.