New Delhi: A tea vendor has died after he faced a hefty electricity bill of Rs 1.60 lakh for three months. The victim is identified as Shivpal Singh, a 55-year-old resident of Mahavir Nagar.
Shivpal had been making rounds of the electricity office, which ultimately led to his death due to a heart attack, his family claimed. The deceased’s daughter, Rakhi, confirmed that they didn’t have any major appliances like an air conditioner or a cooler in their residence. Despite this, they have been slapped with an Rs 1.60 lakh bill after the smart meter installation.
Shivpal’s family also claimed that the bill had been incorrect after the installation of the smart meter, and when the deceased visited the electricity office, the department employees were demanding bribes to settle his matter.
The deceased’s daughter said that her father sold tea from a handcart to support the household, but with the wrongful meter bill, he was skipping work to visit the department.
The constant harassment from the department employees and worry about the financial burden caused him so much stress that he lost his life. Shivpal’s family went to the department after his death, but the officials locked the office and fled.
Electricity department’s response
The Electricity Department’s SDO, Dilip Sahu, has issued an explanation after the escalation. He admitted that a technical glitch in the smart meter or an outdated reading may have led to the high bill, and the team will investigate the cause of the bill. However, the family is demanding strict action against the department and legal action against those responsible for the negligence.
Officials have been investigating the matter and insist on filing a case against the culprits after the deceased’s family created a ruckus outside the electricity office by placing the body of Shivpal at the Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam office in Bharthana tehsil, Etawah.