Visitors at the monthly janata darbar of the Bihar State Electricity Board in Patna on Monday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, April 9: A litany of complaints poured in at a camp organised by Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) at the central Electricity Supply Area office premises today to redress issues related to power consumers.

The complaints, numbering around 50, came up at the board chairman’s state-level janata darbar. The grievances included expansion of low-tension wires, installation of new transformers and poles, rural electrification, timely delivery and rectification of bills, new connections and payment of bills in instalments.

BSEB chairman P.K. Rai, along with member, administration, Rana Awadhesh, board secretary K.K. Verma, Patna Electric Supply Undertaking general manager SKP Singh, gave a patient hearing to the complainants of the people who had come from all across the state. The officers assured them that their grievances would be sorted out at the earliest. Rai said by the end of the 12th Plan, villages deprived of power connection would be electrified.

According to a directive of regulatory commission, people residing on encroached land in areas like Digha and Rajiv Nagar would be given connection on furnishing photo identity cards, Rai said, adding that there were complaints regarding electricity theft, inflated bill, new connection, installation of poles.

Asked about the reason behind the dwindling number of consumers at the darbar, Rai said the camps were being organised on a monthly basis in every district and that too from junior engineer to the general manager’s office-level. He added this is why people are not coming to the state capital. “Instead, power consumers are approaching the camps at their respective officials’ offices at the district-level and their grievances are being redressed,” he said.

Nawal Kishore, a resident of Mithapur, came up with a plea that he had submitted an application to reduce the power load of his residence but the board did not pay heed to his application and sent the bill on the basis of the old power consumption. “Why should I pay for the increased bill for the fault of the board? Instead of reducing the power load, it sent an inflated bill.”

Another consumer, Nawal Kishore Sharma, a resident of New Bypass Road, said poles and wires, which have bends, were posing threats to people. “It should be replaced on an urgent basis,” Sharma said.

Banarsi Singh, a resident of Khagaul in Patna district, complained to the chairman that he was not getting regular electricity bills.

“Meter readers do not come regularly, leading to delay in getting bills. Sometimes bills are delivered at an interval of three or four months,” he said.