Power bills: Consumers made to pay late fee on last date

Ramkrishan Upadhyay   

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20   

Those who paid their electricity bills through debit cards on the last date were charged the late fee at the Sampark Centres.

While the Administration had announced not to accept more than Rs 2,000 in cash for the payment of power/water bills from August 1, 2017, the Electricity Department failed to communicate the same to the  Sampark Centres that the  last date for  depositing the  bills  through  cash and debit cards would remain same.  

A resident of Sector 15,  Sanjay, was surprised  when he was told to pay the late fee. He said: “I had gone to deposit the bill on August 14, which was the  last  date. A clerk at the centre refused to accept the cash as the bill was more than Rs 2,000. When I paid the bill through the debit card, they charged  me 

Rs 451 extra.” “I didn’t know that I was supposed to pay the bill two days before the last date if I wanted to use my debit card,” he said. 

An official at the Sampark Centre Anil K  Parashar said it was not their fault as the centre followed the instructions of department concerned. 

Now, they have taken up the matter with the Department of the Engineering  to clarify the  same. 

The department fixes two dates for the payment. 

One by a cheque and the other by cash.  Those paying the bill by a cheque have to do it in advance. Ajay Jagga, an advocate,  said the dates of payment by cash or card should be the same.