“Jan Jagran’s” President and former Chief Secretary Shri Vijay Kumar Patnaik has demanded that the notice issued by Tata Power to collect additional security from the electricity consumers of the state should be withdrawn immediately

Today, the electricity system in Odisha has become a disaster. According to the data released by the Ministry of Power, while electricity consumers at the national level face an average of 11 hours of power outages per month, Odisha consumers face 23 hours per month. Similarly, while there are 17 power outages per month at the national level, Odisha experiences an average of 34 power outages per month. The situation in rural areas is deplorable. Some places have low voltage problems, while others have power outages for hours. When the power goes out in the evening, it does not return until the next day. For some reason, when the line goes down, the electricians do not pick up the phone. The steps that are asked to be taken when they call the call center to complain are not understandable to rural consumers. The billing-related problems are very serious. Meters in rural areas often remain faulty. Similarly, consumers are being charged with inflated bills and if they fail to pay, their electricity is disconnected. Consumers are being charged thousands of rupees for past due payments. Many times, they are not given enough time to pay the bills.

There are even instances of bills arriving just a day before the due date. Consumers are being forced to install smart meters. If anyone opposes it, their lines are being cut off by showing them various signs. From time to time, it is seen that electricity meter companies wearing Tata Power Company helmets are reaching the homes of consumers and forcing them to install smart meters. New consumers are being forced to bear the cost of wires, transformers, etc., which is against the law. In many places, old wires and low-capacity transformers are not being replaced, resulting in frequent power outages. So the question arises as to where the Rs 30,000 crore allocated in the budget has been spent? Has a formal audit been conducted on it? The government’s Electrical Inspectors are not properly monitoring the wires and transformers used in electricity supply and distribution.

Despite Odisha being a surplus state in electricity generation, why do the consumers here have to buy electricity at a higher price compared to other states? According to the data, the electricity price in Odisha is 24 paise per unit higher than the national price. Why is Tata Power being given permission to sell electricity at a higher price while providing poor quality service? The system (GRF) for hearing consumer complaints in various districts has been created with Tata Power officers. Due to which electricity consumers are not getting justice. GRFs should be formed at the block and district levels to review the complaints of electricity consumers. The local Tehsildar should be the chairman of the block level GRF and the District Collector should be the chairman of the district level GRF. Similarly, the District Collector or Sub-District Collector should be the chairman of the urban GRF. If the complaints are not resolved within the specified time, then Tata Power should be punished.

Tata Power should waive all the dues before taking over the charge. He claimed that the sockets, wires, transformers etc. for connecting the pump sets of the Russians for irrigation were provided free of cost. Electricity connections should be provided free of cost to the homes of domestic consumers. The price of electricity per unit should not be more than the national average. A rule should be announced regarding the rights of consumers. If an application is received for a new connection, it should be provided within a month for domestic and agricultural work, and electricity should be provided within 3 months to small traders and artisans.

Arrangements should be made to have at least one front-line office in every gram panchayat and if any complaint is made by the consumer, it should be registered immediately and a receipt should be issued for it. He demanded that an OMBUDSMAN should be appointed in every district to ensure the rights of the consumers and that he should hear both the parties and give a verdict.