Representatives of FedAOA meet UPPCL
The issue of provisional electricity bill between residents of Indirapuram and UPPCL does not seem to be reaching a conclusion. The outcome of the second meeting between residents and officials of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) was a big zero, with officials refusing to extend the dates for payment of bills.
UPPCL had levied an additional bill, called provisional charges, on Indirapuram societies, to be adjusted in April's bill. This provisional bill came after residents received their electricity bill for March.
In a meeting with the executive engineer on Sunday, residents had demanded that the due date be extended from the current April 4 to April 25. The executive engineer, after consulting with the chief engineer, had extended the due date to April 15. Residents, however, refused to accept this, and a five-member team from FedAOA met Arvind Rajbedi, chief engineer, about the issue today.
Residents said that the day's meeting was unsuccessful, as officials did not consider their demands. "We even proposed to pay half of the provisional bill amount by April 15, but even that was shot down," said VK Sharma, president of Angel Mercury AOA.
When City Spidey raised the issue with Rajbedi, he said that the bills were meant to bridge a financial gap in the corporation's financial target for the year. He also said that the UPPCL was a business house, along with being a public service sector, and every business has its targets. "We are just trying to fulfil our target. The provisional bill is just an advance payment for the month of April. We want cooperation from the residents," Rajbedi insisted.
Residents said that the officials refused to consider the financial conditions of the residents while levying the charges. Speaking to City Spidey, BK Pandey, maintenance manager of Arihant Harmony, said, "The officials want us to pay the amount at any cost. We are helpless now."
And what happens if residents fail to pay the amount by the due date? The chief engineer said that residents would either have their power supply discontinued or would face prosecution.
DK Maurya, general secretary of FedAOA, told City Spidey that societies of Indirapuram were not ready to pay the provisional bill amount, as it was not possible for them to bear the financial burden. "We will conduct demonstrations, protests and even take legal action if necessary. We will not give up without a fight," added Maurya.
