Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: The amount printed on the bill is Rs 128, 45, 95,444
An Uttar Pradesh man was charged an exorbitant electricity bill of more than Rs 128 crore. The man, who claims to have tried his best to rectify the exorbitant amount charged to him, says the electricity department has also cut off supply to his home allegedly because he failed to pay the bill.
Shamim, who stays with his wife in Chamri village in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur, around 80 km away from national capital Delhi, had approached the electricity department to rectify the error, but was told by officials to pay the bill, reported news agency ANI.
The amount printed on the bill, is Rs 128, 45, 95,444 for a home connection of 2 kilowatt, according to ANI.
"No one listens to our pleas, how will we submit that amount? When we went to complain about it, we were told that they won't resume our electricity connection unless we pay the bill," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
He accused the electricity department of handing him over the bill of the entire city. He also says he gets an average monthly bill of only about Rs 700 or Rs 800.
Shamim had approached the electricity department to rectify the error, but was told by officials to pay the bill.
"I am running from pillar to post but no one is listening. It seems that the electricity department wants me to pay the bill of whole Hapur," he said.
"We only use fan and light. How can the amount be so high? We are poor. How we will pay such a large amount," questioned Mr Shamim's wife Khairu Nisha.
An electrical engineer with the electricity department said it was "no big deal", adding that the "technical fault" will be rectified once the bill is sent back to the department.
"This must be a technical fault. If they provide us with the bill we will issue them an updated one after rectifying the technical fault in the system. This is no big deal. Technical faults do take place," Ram Sharan, the engineer, told ANI.
In January this year, a man from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj was sent an electricity bill for Rs 23 crore. His home electricity connection was for a total of 2 kilowatts.
In January this year, a man from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj was sent an electricity bill for Rs 23 crore (File Photo)
"It seems like I've received the entire bill of Uttar Pradesh," Abdul Basit said. "Even if I earn money for my entire life, I'll still be unable to pay this exorbitant amount," he said.
In May last year, a vegetable vendor in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, committed suicide after he was charged Rs 8.64 lakh in March, an error which the power distribution firm said occurred because of a missing decimal point.
Jagannath Nehaji Shelke, 36, allegedly hung himself after he was distressed over the bill despite several visits to the state-run power distribution firm.
The firm initially distanced itself from the vendor's suicide, but afterwards suspended an account assistant for alleged dereliction of duty.
(With Inputs From ANI)