S.A Shofiee, Sylhet :
Instead of rendering service to consumers, Sylhet Power Transmission and Distribution Division-2 has thrown the consumers to enormous suffering and distress.
Power Development Board (PDB) has started introducing pre-paid meter system for consumers. Earlier the system was meant to pay bill after the meter readers distributed the printed bill to consumers and they (consumers) have to pay the bills through banks, e-service and mobile phone operators. But now in the prepaid meter system, the consumers have to recharge their meters of TK 300,400,500 and so on against one meter from PDB Vending Centre.
Under Power Development (Transmission and Distribution) Sylhet-2, prepaid meters have been introduced in eastern city. While visiting to the said office located at Shahjalal Upashahor B-Block of Sylhet City three days ago, this correspondent together with other local journalists found long queue of consumers of electricity to recharge their meters. Only vending station of meters recharge is located at the 3rd floor of the building known as Bonorupa Bhoban.
There the recharge Ôin guise of golden deer’ can be found. In order to get this recharge card, one has to stand 3-4 hours in the queue of consumers. Some of the consumers told this correspondent that suffering in lieu of service has been imposed on consumers. If the recharge is not done or furnished in this office, the supply of electricity to concerned meter owners is automatically severed off.
One Shafi Uddin Shuman of Mehendibag in Sylhet City alleged that he had to stand in the queue for 3 hours or more at a stretch a day to recharge the meter for a month. He further said that his meter recharge amount has nearly been ended. He opined the way in which pre-paid meter has been recharged has turned into punishment to the consumers.
Another consumer Monika Rani Das of Kharadi Para told this correspondent that she was happy to hear the introduction to pre-paid metre system. But she added that they have fallen to newer suffering and distress too. She said in order to prevent stealing and system loss, pre-paid meters have been introduced the by the government.
Altogether 2 crore 23 lakh consumers will be brought under pre-paid meter system across the country including Sylhet. Apart Sylhet, Chottagram, Tangail, Kumilla and Mymensingh cities have been brought under pre-paid meter system. The consumers become happy after hearing the advantages such as no deposit money needed in pre-paid meter system, prevention of ghost bills and recharging the meters very easily but the good news of pre-paid meters have been faded away.
When contacted over cell-phone, Sylhet Power Development Board (Distribution and Marketing)-2 Executive Engineer Parvej Ahmed refuted the allegations brought up against the irregularities brought against pre-paid meters and their advantage.
The Executive Engineer added that 59,000 pre-paid meters have been distributed at consumers levels in Sylhet City. In order to recharge pre-paid meters, beside the vending station of PDB, the consumers can recharge their pre-paid meters at affiliated banks. While visiting the Office Sylhet PDB-2, of Shahjalal Upashahar, this correspondent found a huge queue of consumers. Going over the third floor, the consumers have been standing before five booths. The consumers alleged that Tk. 25% has been taken for service charge. After recharging with equal amount of money, some consumers have been getting 10-25 units less than the previous month. It has been alleged that some dishonest officials lock up meters at will. When the meter is got unlocked, over Tk 800/- 1000/- to be paid up to make the pre-paid meter active. Besides time wasting is another curse to consumers. Moreover, meter-fare, service-charge, demand charge, VAT and others are to be paid up by the consumers. One Ahmed Rafi of Shibgonj alleged that the banks remain closed on Friday and Saturday in a week. Besides, these banks take pre-paid meter bills upto 1-00 p.m. Even standing for hours together, consumers are informed absence of Ôreceipt’ of recharge. Although transaction takes place in the bank upto 4-00 p.m. the bank officials are reluctant to take pre-paid meter bills which are directly paidup in the national exchequer. Mr. Rafi alleged it appears that the bank officials are reluctant to take pre-paid meter bills. Not only that returning to quarters after celebrating Eid. Mr Rafi found his electric lines snapped. When contacted, two persons from PDB came to his quarters and informed him his meter locked. They demanded Tk 1000/- to unlock the meter. Finding no other alternative, Mr. Rafi gave them Tk 600/-.
Another consumer Shamim Ahmed of Jatarpur said after recharging Tk 500/-, he got 87.4 units but this month he got 51.5 units on having recharged equal amount of money (500/-). Mr Shamim alleged that earlier in post-paid meters bills, Tk 700/-, 800/-would have been paid monthly while after pre-paid meter the bill stands Tk 1800/-, 2000/- monthly which is a sheer injustice to the consumers.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of PDB, Sylhet-2, told this correspondent that the government has signed a treaty with Grameen Phone. The suffering will be put to an end from October next. Mr Parvej said if the meter is shaken or opened, it may get locked but for unlocking if any PDB employee claims money, he asked to report him instantly and vowed to take action against the very employee. He claimed in the notice board of the Vending Stations Wall, the list of eight banks are mentioned.
They are Standard Bank (Noyasharak), National Bank (Mirabazar), NCC Bank (Laldigirpar), U.C.B.L Bank (Shibgonj), South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank (Islampur), NRCC Bank (Kumarpara) and U.C.B.L Bank (Shahjalal Upashahar).
Instead of rendering service to consumers, Sylhet Power Transmission and Distribution Division-2 has thrown the consumers to enormous suffering and distress.
Power Development Board (PDB) has started introducing pre-paid meter system for consumers. Earlier the system was meant to pay bill after the meter readers distributed the printed bill to consumers and they (consumers) have to pay the bills through banks, e-service and mobile phone operators. But now in the prepaid meter system, the consumers have to recharge their meters of TK 300,400,500 and so on against one meter from PDB Vending Centre.
Under Power Development (Transmission and Distribution) Sylhet-2, prepaid meters have been introduced in eastern city. While visiting to the said office located at Shahjalal Upashahor B-Block of Sylhet City three days ago, this correspondent together with other local journalists found long queue of consumers of electricity to recharge their meters. Only vending station of meters recharge is located at the 3rd floor of the building known as Bonorupa Bhoban.
There the recharge Ôin guise of golden deer’ can be found. In order to get this recharge card, one has to stand 3-4 hours in the queue of consumers. Some of the consumers told this correspondent that suffering in lieu of service has been imposed on consumers. If the recharge is not done or furnished in this office, the supply of electricity to concerned meter owners is automatically severed off.
One Shafi Uddin Shuman of Mehendibag in Sylhet City alleged that he had to stand in the queue for 3 hours or more at a stretch a day to recharge the meter for a month. He further said that his meter recharge amount has nearly been ended. He opined the way in which pre-paid meter has been recharged has turned into punishment to the consumers.
Another consumer Monika Rani Das of Kharadi Para told this correspondent that she was happy to hear the introduction to pre-paid metre system. But she added that they have fallen to newer suffering and distress too. She said in order to prevent stealing and system loss, pre-paid meters have been introduced the by the government.
Altogether 2 crore 23 lakh consumers will be brought under pre-paid meter system across the country including Sylhet. Apart Sylhet, Chottagram, Tangail, Kumilla and Mymensingh cities have been brought under pre-paid meter system. The consumers become happy after hearing the advantages such as no deposit money needed in pre-paid meter system, prevention of ghost bills and recharging the meters very easily but the good news of pre-paid meters have been faded away.
When contacted over cell-phone, Sylhet Power Development Board (Distribution and Marketing)-2 Executive Engineer Parvej Ahmed refuted the allegations brought up against the irregularities brought against pre-paid meters and their advantage.
The Executive Engineer added that 59,000 pre-paid meters have been distributed at consumers levels in Sylhet City. In order to recharge pre-paid meters, beside the vending station of PDB, the consumers can recharge their pre-paid meters at affiliated banks. While visiting the Office Sylhet PDB-2, of Shahjalal Upashahar, this correspondent found a huge queue of consumers. Going over the third floor, the consumers have been standing before five booths. The consumers alleged that Tk. 25% has been taken for service charge. After recharging with equal amount of money, some consumers have been getting 10-25 units less than the previous month. It has been alleged that some dishonest officials lock up meters at will. When the meter is got unlocked, over Tk 800/- 1000/- to be paid up to make the pre-paid meter active. Besides time wasting is another curse to consumers. Moreover, meter-fare, service-charge, demand charge, VAT and others are to be paid up by the consumers. One Ahmed Rafi of Shibgonj alleged that the banks remain closed on Friday and Saturday in a week. Besides, these banks take pre-paid meter bills upto 1-00 p.m. Even standing for hours together, consumers are informed absence of Ôreceipt’ of recharge. Although transaction takes place in the bank upto 4-00 p.m. the bank officials are reluctant to take pre-paid meter bills which are directly paidup in the national exchequer. Mr. Rafi alleged it appears that the bank officials are reluctant to take pre-paid meter bills. Not only that returning to quarters after celebrating Eid. Mr Rafi found his electric lines snapped. When contacted, two persons from PDB came to his quarters and informed him his meter locked. They demanded Tk 1000/- to unlock the meter. Finding no other alternative, Mr. Rafi gave them Tk 600/-.
Another consumer Shamim Ahmed of Jatarpur said after recharging Tk 500/-, he got 87.4 units but this month he got 51.5 units on having recharged equal amount of money (500/-). Mr Shamim alleged that earlier in post-paid meters bills, Tk 700/-, 800/-would have been paid monthly while after pre-paid meter the bill stands Tk 1800/-, 2000/- monthly which is a sheer injustice to the consumers.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of PDB, Sylhet-2, told this correspondent that the government has signed a treaty with Grameen Phone. The suffering will be put to an end from October next. Mr Parvej said if the meter is shaken or opened, it may get locked but for unlocking if any PDB employee claims money, he asked to report him instantly and vowed to take action against the very employee. He claimed in the notice board of the Vending Stations Wall, the list of eight banks are mentioned.
They are Standard Bank (Noyasharak), National Bank (Mirabazar), NCC Bank (Laldigirpar), U.C.B.L Bank (Shibgonj), South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank (Islampur), NRCC Bank (Kumarpara) and U.C.B.L Bank (Shahjalal Upashahar).
