Residents are in a quandary over payment of their November power bills.

Essel Vidyut Vitran (Muzaffarpur) Ltd, the distribution franchisee of North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, has decided to charge 70,000 residents for 300 units of consumption for November in urban and semi-urban pockets of Muzaffarpur.

Whether they actually consumed 300 units or not, the residents would have to cough up for 300 units.

Rohan Dubey, public relations officer of Vidyut Vitran, said: “Essel Vidyut Vitran has decided to slap a bill of 300 units on 70,000 consumers. The North Bihar Power Distribution Company had provided us data in which records of meter readings of 70,000 consumers are not clear. Some records show zero meter reading.”

Essel Vidyut Vitran Limited entrusted the task of noting down the meter reading of consumers to Feedback Infrastructure.

The Feedback Infrastructure personnel were stunned to see the excess meter billing and brought the matter it to the notice of Essel Vidyut Vitran Limited.

However, Dubey was quick to add: “Feedback Infrastructure would take at least a month to collect the data for further proper billing. Things would be streamlined once the data is prepared. Bills of surplus amounts paid to Essel Vidyut Vitran Limited would be adjusted from next month.”

“This is a cruel joke on honest consumers who pay bills regularly. It is Essel’s fault, not of the consumers. Essel should not send bills of those consumers whose data details are missing or under dispute,” said Babu Khan of Banke Sah Chowk.

“The private power company has started showing its ugly face to gullible consumers,” said Shabbir Ahmad of Chandwara.

Essel Vidyut Vitran Limited would now give a fortnight’s deadline to consumers pay the bills. The bills, to be distributed from December 22, would carry a last date of January 7, 2014.