Wang Duan (left) with Sukla at the janata darbar. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, June 20: A monk from Thailand has got the shock of her life from the Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB), which has handed her a bill of Rs 33 lakh.

Wang Duan, who is in her late thirties, today landed up at the janata darbar of chief minister Nitish Kumar to explain her plight. The power board has cut off the electricity connection to her home, saying the dues have accumulated over four years.

Wang, a Thai subject, has been living in Bodhgaya for the past seven years in a house, which she shares with three other lady monks. The house has no electricity-guzzling appliances such as air-conditioners.

Wang, who speaks broken English, was accompanied to the darbar by Ajay Sukla, another Buddhist monk from Bodhgaya, who helped her as an interpreter.

Nitish himself expressed surprise at the bill. “How is it possible to receive an electricity bill of Rs 33 lakh? There must be something else. You better go and meet the energy department officials,” the chief minister said.

Sukla, who hails from Darjeeling, then took over. “For the past four years, she has been receiving incorrect electricity bills. Now, the amount is so high that we had to come all the way from Bodhgaya to complain about it. Please look into the matter,” he told the chief minister.

The monks then met BSEB chairman P.K. Rai, who was present at the darbar. “Sir, it’s not possible for us to get such heavy electricity bills. We are monks and most of the time we are busy praying or engaged in spiritual activities,” Sukla said.

Rai asked the monks to return to Bodhgaya. “Return to Bodhgaya. You don’t need to visit Patna. We will see what we can do,” he said.

Wang told The Telegraph that the board officials had told her to first cough up Rs 33 lakh and only then will the electricity supply be resumed. “My fan is not moving at all for so many days. I don’t know from where I will pay this hefty amount,” she said.