102 power bills found in trash

As many as 102 energy bills of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) was found in a Nalla Sopara garbage bin by an alert auto driver on Sunday. He handed the bills to member of the local hawkers’ association who have complained to the MSEB authorities and have demanded action against the bill distribution agency contractor.

On Sunday afternoon an auto driver after filling petrol in his auto at Sriprastha petrol pump, went to answer nature’s call near a garbage bin when he sighted a bundle of power bills. On curiosity he opened the bundle only to see a host of power bills. He alerted S R Khan, member of the local hawkers’ association on this find.

“The driver gave me the bills and to my shock I found that the bills were of May 18 and the last date of paying the bills was June 1,” said Mr Khan.

All the bills had the consumer number 0015 series and included bills of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation Head Office at Virar, Virar police, Virar branch of the Thane District Cooperative Bank and other institutions, said Khan. I immediately complained to B Halnor, executive engineer, MSEB in this regard and also sent the said bills, he added.

Blaming the distribution contractor for the mess, he demanded that the MSEB should immediately suspend the contractor entrusted with the distribution of the bills. “The MSEB pays 50 paise per bill distributed to the contractor to ensure that the consumer gets the bill and pays the bill in time. This is the tip of an iceberg of corruption prevailing in the MSEB,” he said.

On behalf of MSEB, Mr Halnor said, “We are inquiring into the matter and may blacklist the firm if it is found guilty of negligence.”