14-05-2025
JBVNL begins power disconnection of smart meters over unpaid bills
Ranchi: Over 250
were disconnected in Ranchi Circle in the last one week due to insufficient balance in
and non-payment of dues. The Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (
) mandates that households should maintain a minimum balance of Rs 200 in their smart metres, failing which their supply will be automatically cut off.
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Around 20,000 connections are on the verge of breaching the Rs 200 minimum balance limit, officials power cuts, a large number of consumers are now rushing to electricity offices to clear their dues or recharge their smart Singh, a daily wager from Kokar, said, "I'm not familiar with how to pay online for the smart meter, so I went to a cyber cafe for help.
But even there, I found out the server wasn't working, and I had to wait for a long time just to pay the bill. They told me to come back after three hours. I can't afford to miss a day's wage, but I also can't afford a power cut."Suresh Kashyap, another consumer, said, "My UPI transaction failed because of server issues, which was really frustrating. On top of that, ever since the smart meter was installed, we've noticed a significant increase in the electricity bill amount."Electrical superintendent engineer, D N Sahu, said, "The objective isn't to cause inconvenience to consumers, but to promote timely bill payments and enhance the overall efficiency of the billing system. This step is part of a broader effort to streamline electricity services and ensure uninterrupted supply through better management."A JBVNL official said, "We recognise the ongoing server downtime challenges and are actively working to fix them. Additionally, efforts are being made to deploy more staff at billing counters during peak hours to manage the rush."
