Noakhali customer's Tk1.1 lakh 'ghost' power bill cut to Tk1,238, staffer withdrawn
The customer’s September bill showed 6,000 units against previous 187-unit monthly average
A residential electricity bill of Tk1,10,496 for September in Chatkhil, Noakhali, has been revised to Tk1,238 following a media report on the consumer's complaint.
Momtaz Begum, a billing assistant at the local Palli Bidyut Samity office, has been withdrawn from her workplace over the incident, according to media reports.
The consumer, Shahidul Islam, uses the meter registered in the name of his late grandfather, Abu Taher, at Boro Tofdar Bari in Harikrishnapur village under Badalkot union.
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Shahidul said his household uses only a few lights, two fans, a refrigerator and an IPS. His electricity bill for August was Tk1,326, while the September bill showed consumption of 6,000 units, compared with an average of 187 units over the previous five months.
On Monday night, Chatkhil Regional Office Deputy General Manager Junayedur Rahman visited Shahidul's house and handed him a copy of the revised bill, expressing regret over the incident.
Palli Bidyut Samity has also formed a four-member committee, headed by Senbagh Regional Office Deputy General Manager Minarul Islam, to investigate the erroneous bill. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days.
Noakhali Palli Bidyut Samity General Manager Mokbul Alam told reporters that the meter reader had taken the reading correctly.
The committee will investigate why an erroneous bill was generated despite the accurate reading, he said, adding that further action would be taken after its report.
He also said the chairman of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board had contacted him after the news was published and directed the withdrawal of the billing assistant. Officials had been instructed to take care to prevent similar errors, he added.
