Despite reveal of fraud,electricity board asks victims to pay up

“We have made the payments which has been acknowledged by the department and cash receipts have been issued,so consumers cannot be asked to make the payment again,” said one of the complaints. “The department is forcing us to deposit the bills and threatened us that our electric supply will be disconnected.”

Police had arrested Sohan Lal,a clerk,and Jeet Ram,a contractual employee,who were posted in Baddi office of HPSEB for criminal breach of trust. The duo were collecting money from the consumers at the departmental counter and without depositing the electricity fee in government kitty,they used to issue fake receipts to the consumers. An internal probe by the department had established that the duo had defrauded over a dozen consumers.

Police had registered a case under section 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the IPC in Baddi police station against the two employees,after an official complaint.

While the consumers are complaining about the harassment,HPSEB has questioned the way they had paid the electricity bill at the departmental counter.

“They had adopted a shortcut method while paying the energy bill charges and they had not paid the amount at the cash-counter,but handed it over to Jeet Ram. The cashier is not authorised to accept payment of more then Rs 10,000 in cash,and can only be accepted with the approval of SDO concerned and receipt has to be issued by the SDO himself,” an official of the HPSEB said.

A senior official of the HPSEB defended the decision of asking the consumers to deposit the electric fee. “Now that a criminal complaint has been lodged with Station House Officer Baddi. The victims of fraud have been told to file a written complaint with SHO Baddi or approach Superintendent of Police (SP) Baddi for recovery of money from the accused. But the consumers have to deposit their bills,” the official said.