Mirzapur (Tangail) Correspondent :
In Tangail’s Mirzapur, about one and a half lakh customers have been bewildered by additional fake bills of Palli Vidyut Samiti-1. Aggrieved customers have alleged that a customer has been charged one-and-a-half to two times the bill and some customers four to five times additional fake bills against a meter. The rural electricity department is taking hundreds of crores of rupees by holding one and a half lakh customers hostage. They complained that people of low income are facing more difficulties while paying extra bills. On Saturday, after searching in different areas of Mirzapur Upazila and talking to residential, small, and medium and heavy industry owners and customers of Palli Vidyut Samiti, the same picture was found.
According to the investigation, there are two zonal offices under Tangail Palli Vidyut Samiti-1, one at Bawarkumarjani area in Mirzapur Upazila Sadar and one adjacent to Tangail Cotton Mills in Gogai area of Shilpa area of Gogai. Fewer than two zonal offices, Mirzapur Municipality, Mahera, Jamurki, Fatepur, Banail, Anaitara, Warshi, Bhatgram, Bhaora, Bahuria, Gogai, Ratifpur, Azgana, Tarafpur and Banshoil Union have a total of 160,000 customers including residential, small, medium and heavy industries. a thousand According to the inquiry, the highest bill has been given to the customer for each meter of rural electricity for the month of last May. Against a meter, a customer has been charged one-and-a-half to two times the bill and some customers four to five times the additional fake bill. Suraiya Begum, a tenant (residential customer) of a house in Mirzapur municipality, complained that her meter bill came from Tk 450 to Tk 500,000 in January, February and March of this year. In May, he was given a bill of 1100 taka.
He believes that due to the manipulation of rural electricity office, he has been given fake bills to charge extra bills. At least 30 customers including Suraiya Begmar, Babul Sikder of Gokai, Abu Hashem of Zamurki, Abdul Quader of Banshtail, Chan Mia of Azgana have complained. They also complained that even though the extra Bua bill was given in the name of Tadre, the meter reading did not match the bill copy. The helpless consumers have complained that the rural electricity department is grabbing crores of rupees by holding every customer hostage. Residential, small, medium and heavy industries owners and customers have strongly demanded to look into the matter and take swift action against those responsible subject to investigation.
In this regard, Jasim Uddin, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Mirzapur Zonal Office of Tangail Palli Vidyut Samiti said that the number of customers under two zonal offices in this upazila is about one and a half lakh. The main reason for the higher bill this month is less load shedding. Power consumption is high. As a result, the bill is slightly higher against each meter. Many a time customers complain of overbilling without considering load shedding. He claims that it is not right. However, if he finds that the bill is too high in the name of a customer, then the bill will be revised in the office.