November 23, 2024 14:05 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Third World War has begun:' Ex-Ukraine military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny | UK-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations to resume in early 2024 | UK can arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits country based on ICC warrant | Centre to send over 10,000 additional soldiers to violence-hit Manipur amid fresh violence | Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed during encounter with security forces in Sukma
Amid protests, CESC announces to put amounts of April-May billed in June in abeyance

Amid protests, CESC announces to put amounts of April-May billed in June in abeyance

| @indiablooms | 19 Jul 2020, 11:39 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: After facing a massive outrage for sending its consumers 'exorbitant' electricity bills amid financial crisis triggered by Covid-19 and resultant lockdown, RP Sanjiv Goenka Group owned power utility, Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC), on Sunday night announced to keep in abeyance the charges for April and May, which were merged with the bills of June.

"In consideration of the inconvenience of certain sections of society, we have decided to keep in abeyance the amount for the last two months included in the current bills of all low voltage domestic consumers," a CESC statement read.

The electricity supply company said that its customers will need to pay only the amount pertaining to their consumption for June.

"In effect, such consumers are to pay now only the amount pertaining to their consumption for the current month included in the above bills. Details in this regard are being worked out considering suitable regulatory guidelines. Meanwhile, the due dates for payment stand extended," according to the CESC statement.

CESC, which provides electricity in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, and its adjoining urban areas of Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas, stated that the modalities relating to this matter will be announced soon.

For the last few days, CESC, which is engaged in the generation and distribution of electricity across approximately 570 sq km area, has been facing a heavy protest and social media outrage after its consumers, including general people, state ministers, heavyweight politicians and celebrities, were served a huge amount of electricity bills.

Explaining the reasons behind such exorbitant billings, CESC officials earlier said, "We are not overcharging our customers. For the last two months we billed them less than their consumption during Covid lockdown period and this month we billed our consumers for their actual use and the unbilled amount of the last two months."

Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "CESC announces relief to 25.5 lakh consumers out of total 33 lakh consumers in Kolkata. Now, only June’s actual consumption will have to be paid. Amounts billed for the 2 months of April and May in June have been put in abeyance. The payment dates too stand extended. Kolkata wins!"

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.