The High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to adjust exorbitant electricity bills during the nationwide shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The court also ordered to submit a report within two months before the court about the adjustment of the bills.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order on Monday.
The court also issued a rule asking the government why legal action should not be taken against the people responsible for issuing inflated electricity bills during the shutdown.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua was present before the court in favour of the writ petition filed in this regard.
Earlier on August 23, a legal notice was served to the authorities concerned to take immediate action against the people responsible for issuing exorbitant electricity bills during the nationwide shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, on behalf of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), sent the legal notice.
The secretaries to Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, chairman of Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BERB), managing directors of Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDCL) and Northern Electricity Supply Company Ltd (NESCO) have been made respondents to the legal notice.
The notice requested the BERC chairman to direct the BREB, DPDC, DESCO, WZPDCL and NESCO to stop collecting bills from the consumers on the basis of illegal issuance, to cancel the aforesaid bills and prepare customised bills based on actual meter readings for each consumer, not to realise late fine from the consumers against the aforesaid three months’ bills.
The BERC chairman also has been urged to direct BREB, DPDC, DESCO, WZPDCL and NESCO to publish information on their websites about the amount of consumer-wise excessive bills collected/prepared by them on the basis of aforesaid illegal and unauthorized bills and take punitive measure against BREB, DPDC, DESCO, WZPDCL and NESCO over violating an order dated on February 27 this year passed by BERC fixing tariff of electricity.
On June 30, CAB sent an open letter to the government demanding cancellation of the alleged illegal and unauthorised bills and to issue fresh bills for each month under the BERC guidelines as well as waiving late fee against the arrears in electricity bills issued to the consumers during the countrywide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
nh/teb
