In a bizarre incident, a businessman in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district was left stunned after receiving a power bill of Rs 2.10 billion (Rs 2,10,42,08,405).
Ashish Dhiman, who runs a cement brick manufacturing unit at Behadwi Jatta village under Bhoranj tehsil, typically receives a monthly bill of just Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. The shocking bill prompted him to rush to the local electricity board office, where officials dismissed it as a “technical glitch”.
Dhiman, who set up the BK Industry plant in his mother Lalita Dhiman’s name just six months ago, employs seven workers. He was astounded to receive the astronomical bill on January 9. “I was terrified when I saw the amount and immediately went to the electricity board office,” he said.
Corrected bill issued within 5 hours
The board officials corrected the error within five hours and issued a revised bill of Rs 4,047.
Assistant Engineer (SDO) Anurag Chandel of the Bhoranj Electricity Board confirmed that the bill was generated due to a technical error and had been rectified promptly after Dhiman’s complaint.
The incident coincides with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s recent appeal for financially stable residents to forego their power subsidies.
During a press conference in Shimla last week, the CM urged affluent citizens to voluntarily give up their entitlement to 125 units of free electricity to help stabilise the electricity board’s finances, which are currently under strain.
Following the appeal, 200 residents, including the CM himself, ministers, district collectors and senior police officials, have reportedly relinquished their subsidies by submitting formal applications.
“While the error in Dhiman’s bill was resolved, the case has highlighted concerns about technical inefficiencies in the electricity board’s operations, raising questions about the management of subsidies and billing systems,” said a local resident.
