Daily wager at wit’s end as TNEB levies 70K power bill

Coimbatore: A daily wage earner and his wife from Nanjundapuram submitted a petition at the weekly grievance redressal meeting at the district collectorate on Monday stating that the electricity board had levied a whopping 70,405 bill for bimonthly power consumption for their small household. In a letter submitted to the collector G S Sameeran, Ma Musthafa and his wife Rafiya said they usually get 200 to 300 power charges. “Two months ago, we paid 1,251 for power consumption. When we asked officials, they said the power consumption had gone up for that month. Now, they are asking us to pay 70,405, which does not make sense.” Musthafa added officials told him to pay the bill in instalments to avoid any power supply disruption . He sought the collector’s intervention in the issue. District revenue officer P S Leela Alex, who received the petition, assured the couple that she would look into the issue.