Mounting Electricity Bills Spark Widespread Concern in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar District
Consumers across Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand are raising serious concerns over escalating electricity bills, with allegations of irregular meter readings and delayed bill generation by the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL). The state-run power utility has established four distinct tariff slabs for domestic consumers, but residents claim that systemic failures are unfairly inflating their costs.
Tariff Structure and Consumer Complaints
The UPCL has implemented a tiered pricing system where domestic consumers pay Rs 3.65 per unit for usage between 0 to 100 units, Rs 5.25 per unit for 101 to 200 units, Rs 7.15 per unit for 201 to 400 units, and Rs 7.80 per unit for consumption exceeding 400 units. However, residents, particularly in rural areas, report that meter readers have not visited their villages for months, leading to cumulative billing that forces households into higher tariff brackets.
Personal Stories Highlight Financial Strain
Suresh Singh, a resident of Kanda village, received a single bill after three months showing 924 units of consumption. "We were pushed straight into the top slab. It is impossible to pay such an amount in one go," he stated, noting that repeated complaints to authorities have yielded no relief. Similarly, Pushpa Devi from Kanda saw her bills jump from Rs 200-250 every two months to nearly Rs 1,000 per month.
In Kapkot, 70-year-old Govindi Devi, who lives alone on an old-age pension, was issued a staggering bill of Rs 30,300. "There is only a bulb in my house. How can I clear such a huge bill?" she questioned, underscoring the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations.
Systemic Issues and Official Response
An anonymous UPCL employee revealed that over the last year, more than 600 billing-related complaints were registered monthly in Bageshwar district, with staff struggling to address the growing backlog. "We are continuously correcting bills, but systemic improvements will take time," the employee admitted.
Residents from various villages have traveled to the district headquarters seeking rectification, incurring transport and other expenses ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. Many allege being routinely assured that corrections would appear in subsequent bills, yet discrepancies persist.
UPCL's Stance and Unresolved Questions
UPCL executive engineer Mohammad Afzaal confirmed that cases of excessive billing are under review and being revised. However, he did not specify a timeline for ensuring regular meter readings or a streamlined billing system. The department has also not clarified why cumulative billing continues to push consumers into higher tariff slabs, leaving many questions unanswered as the crisis deepens in Bageshwar.
