Soon, only online pay option for EB bills above Rs 2,000

CHENNAI: In a move that is likely cause hardship for consumers who are not used to online modes of payment, the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has put forth a proposal to make compulsory online payment of consumption charges exceeding Rs 2,000 for all LT consumers, including domestic connections.

A proposal to this effect was made by Tangedco at the code review panel meeting held on October 27, which was attended by the chairman and managing director of the utility, Rajesh Lakhani.

Sources in the code review panel said that all the members of the panel agreed to make online payment compulsory for the LT consumers whose charges exceed Rs 2,000. “The code review panel recommendation would be submitted to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission. After accepting the recommendation, the commission would publish a draft notification for the public comments and then the amendment would be notified,” sources added.

At present, the bill payment above Rs 5,000 by LT consumers should be paid online, demand draft or by cheque.

A senior Tangedco official said that with the simplification of the online payment process, consumers need not wait in queues to pay their bills. “If our proposal is accepted, it will help in immediate cash realisation and avoid unnecessary cash handling at the counters,” the official said.

A trade union leader of the Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees said that senior officials have already given oral instructions to the counter staff to direct the consumers with bill payments of more than Rs 2,000 to pay through online mode.

“Tangedco is taking such a step to reduce the counter staff and number of counters. Already all the HT consumers were paying the bills online. The number of counters was reduced from one counter per 5,000 service connections in a section office to one counter at a section office. Last year, instruction were issued to operate only one counter in a building even if multiple section offices were located on the same premises,” the union leader said. The leader added that Tangedco has also made filing of applications for new service connections, name transfers and tariff change online.

T Sadagopan, president Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, said the mandatory payment of bills over Rs 2,000 would be acceptable to the people living in the city but not for those in the suburbs and rural areas.

“Though the bill could be paid through e-seva centres and India Post offices, there are difficulties faced by the consumers there. Most of the time, the payments are not getting reflected on the Tangedco server if paid on the last day, leading to disconnection of power connection,” he said.