CHENNAI: City residents are being fleeced by employees of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) in the name of replacing old meters with digital ones. Residents in many areas are told to pay 175 to 250 as fees to replace old meters. Many, who do not know that the meters are to nstalled by TNEB free of cost, end up paying whatever the staff demand.
Tangedco, a subsidiary of TNEB, is currently replacing conventional meters with digital meters as part of the central government-sponsored Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP), being implemented in 110 towns and cities, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy.
TNEB staff, who carry out the work, say only a part of the money is taken by them. The balance is given to officials, said a resident.
On Thursday, a team of Tangedco employees led by a man named Gopal visited a few apartment complexes in Mandaveli and told residents to cough up 175 per household to replace meters. "Gopal, who came with three others, told us to keep meter cards and 175 per card ready tomorrow. They said 8 meters would be replaced," said S Chari, a resident of Mandaveli.
TNEB officials feigned ignorance about the fleecing and said the board had given enough publicity that the replacement would be done free of cost. "If still people pay money, they are to be blamed," said a senior official.
"On a few previous occasions, we received complaints about our employees fleecing residents. But when our officials visited houses for an inquiry, many residents refused to cooperate," said the official.
Digital meters record consumption of power by even small gadgets. Conventional meters, on the other hand, have rotational discs, and record only when consumption is reasonably high. On account of registering accurate readings, the board hopes that digital meters will increase its revenue by about 20%.
TNEB has ordered 45 lakh digital meters from seven companies and till now has received 20 lakh meters.
Tangedco, a subsidiary of TNEB, is currently replacing conventional meters with digital meters as part of the central government-sponsored Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP), being implemented in 110 towns and cities, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy.
TNEB staff, who carry out the work, say only a part of the money is taken by them. The balance is given to officials, said a resident.
On Thursday, a team of Tangedco employees led by a man named Gopal visited a few apartment complexes in Mandaveli and told residents to cough up 175 per household to replace meters. "Gopal, who came with three others, told us to keep meter cards and 175 per card ready tomorrow. They said 8 meters would be replaced," said S Chari, a resident of Mandaveli.
TNEB officials feigned ignorance about the fleecing and said the board had given enough publicity that the replacement would be done free of cost. "If still people pay money, they are to be blamed," said a senior official.
"On a few previous occasions, we received complaints about our employees fleecing residents. But when our officials visited houses for an inquiry, many residents refused to cooperate," said the official.
Digital meters record consumption of power by even small gadgets. Conventional meters, on the other hand, have rotational discs, and record only when consumption is reasonably high. On account of registering accurate readings, the board hopes that digital meters will increase its revenue by about 20%.
TNEB has ordered 45 lakh digital meters from seven companies and till now has received 20 lakh meters.
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