Power dept considers monthly bills for areas under WBSEDCL

Kolkata: State Power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said on Wednesday that his department would consider a proposal of sending electricity bills to the consumers every month, if it helps in reducing the tariffs for each unit of electricity.

The minister's statement came after some of the Opposition MLAs outside the Assembly placed their demands on Tuesday for generating electricity bills for the consumers every month, in the areas which are covered by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL).

It may be mentioned here that according to the existing system, the WBSEDCL generates electricity bills for its consumers every three months. Hence, the consumers do not get any opportunity to pay their electricity bill every month.

The Opposition MLAs had claimed that the consumers have to pay more under the existing system. Had they been given the opportunity to pay their bills monthly, it would help them save some money as the tariff slabs would be reduced automatically.

The minister has, however, claimed that there is no scientific reason behind the claim of the Opposition MLAs, as the Power department has been sending the electricity bills to the consumers after lot of research.

Chattopadhyay also mentioned that the state government has been giving subsidy in the electricity bill of every customer in the WBSEDCL areas.

He also assured that he would ask officials to conduct a detailed research on the issue and examine if the tariff slabs can indeed get reduced if a bill is generated on a monthly basis.

The minister said that he would make a statement in the Assembly in this regard once a detailed research is conducted on the matter. He also assured that he would start a new system if needed, thereby generating the electricity bills every month if it really helps to reduce the tariff rates.