-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help others be BETTER INFORMED. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chorao Consumers to fight back on receiving electricity bills after 7 months
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While the Goa Govt. is all set to raise the power tarriff, its service provider the Electricity Department is likely to face a "surge in consumer power" after it failed to issue bills for seven months to its consumers on the Chorao island in Tiswadi Taluka in North Goa. After eight long months consumers on the Chorao island were issued electricity bills dated 26/02/2008 for a period of seven months from 02/06/2007 to 26/02/2008 with a remark* *"billed on minimum" for 7 months. ** As there were a lot of queries addressed to the Junior Engineer especially with regard to part payment, arrears, credits, etc. and as the same could not be answered, the Assistant Engineer, Mr. D. Bandekar, Elect. Div-I, Panaji had a meeting with the members of the Chorao Civic and Consumer Forum on Thursday 6th March. Mr. Bandekar explained that non-issuing of bills was the result of the failure of spot billing program which was undertaken by the Goa Electrcity Department as a pilot project in Chorao, along with some other places. As a special case, he was willing to make a concession of part payment (50%) and the balance would be carried forward with the regular payment of the next month, along with the total ammount (6/2007 to 2/2008) divided by seven. For this concession, the consumer would have to approach the Junior Engineer at the Section Office, get his approval and then make the payment in the State Bank of India, Chorao and this procedure would have to be followed every month till the total ammount was cleared. The Consumer Forum felt that the AE's proposal was becoming both complicated and confusing and over and above very impractical and all this, for no fault of the consumer. Forum* *members felt that while the Department admits itsresponsibily for the non-issue of bills, the AE sought to put the blame squarely on the Consumer for not approaching the Department for payment of bills even though the same had not been issued resulting in the consumer bearing the brunt. Unfortunately the AE was clean bowled when he was informed that such a request was made by the Forum on behalf of the consumers of Chorao, through letter No 28/07-CCCF/2007-08 written to the Department wayback on 25/11/07. Further the Forum produced a reply to this letter from the Executive Engineer, letter No.EE/Div-I/Tech-45(i)/5362, dated Nil/12/2007, stating, " However, this department has reverted back to old system of issuing electricity bills. You are kindly requested to bear with the department" thus proving that the Consumer had fulfilled his duty of asking for the bill.This put the AE in a tight corner and the whole situation changed, turning the tables on the department. The Forum is still awaiting a reply from the Executive Engineer to its letter of 21/02/08. Before dispersing the Forum members decided to put this matter to the Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE) and the Power Advisory Committee (PAC) for consideration and necessary action failing which a represententation would be made to the Consumer Redressal Agencies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Message from Chorao Civic and Consumer Forum --------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------
