CHENNAI: Tangedco consumers paying bimonthly EB bills exceeding 2,000 might soon have to pay online as the power utility has recommended to Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to bring down the limit to 2,000 from 5,000.
As of now, those paying bills above 5,000 are mandated to make the payment either online or through demand draft or cheque, while others can pay by cash at their neearest Tangedco office. A senior official told TOI that the discom has made the recommendation through the code review panel held on Thursday to fix 2,000 as the limit to pay in cash. “TNERC may approve of it or increase the limit to an extent, but switching to online payment is indispensable just as it is in other departments,” said the official. Tangedco has made online payment including through mobile wallet hassle-free for consumers. By switching to online, the consumers can track their payment and consumption history anytime. “It will also reduce the discrepancies at the accessor’s end,” said a superintendent engineer. The official said that they encourage customers to pay online as it is beneficial for both consumers and the discom.
However, some consumers complain that they are already being forced to pay the bill online by reducing payment counters. V Santhanam, an activist from Chromepet, said that the number of counters in Sant ho Nagar office was reduced from three to one and after a confrontation with officials, a separate counter was opened for senior citizens.
When contacted, Tangedco union sources said that earlier there were separate queues for different sections at Tangedco offices, but they were merged into one, which resulted in longer queues. Unions complained that it is teh discom’s attempt to cutdown on the manpower and not fill the existing vacancies.
Source: PTI
