In a shocking case of negligence, a resident of Bihar鈥檚 Sitamarhi district was handed an electricity bill that was more suited for an industry than a house. The state electricity department billed Santosh Mandal, an household consumer, a jaw-dropping Rs 22.96 lakh, thousands of times higher than his actual usage.
Startled by the astronomical bill, Mandal rushed to the electricity department鈥檚 Public Grievance Redressal Officer (PGRO) office to contest the charge. Upon investigation, officials acknowledged the error and promptly issued a corrected bill. The actual amount due was Rs 65,321.
鈥淚 was shocked. For a moment, I thought it was some kind of joke. But when I saw it was officially generated, I knew I had to act fast,鈥 Mandal told reporters.
Unfortunately, Mandal鈥檚 case is not an isolated one. A consumer in Bajitpur reported a similar discrepancy when he was billed Rs 58,268 instead of his correct dues of Rs 43,717. With such recurring errors surfacing across the district, concerns are mounting over the accuracy and reliability of Sitamarhi鈥檚 electricity billing system.
Consumers alleged that these inflated bills aren鈥檛 just technical mishaps, they come with real consequences. Many residents report having to take multiple trips to departmental offices, wasting time and enduring considerable mental stress.
The system is so chaotic that people either spend weeks getting the bills corrected or give up in frustration, said a local businessman who also faced a billing discrepancy last year.
While the PGRO offices, established at the subdivision level, are proving to be a much-needed lifeline for aggrieved consumers, they are often flooded with complaints, revealing deeper structural flaws in the billing process.
Amid public outrage, residents are demanding a complete overhaul of the district鈥檚 billing infrastructure. Citizens are calling for a more transparent and technology-driven system that minimises human error and automatically flags anomalies. 鈥淭here should be accountability. The employees responsible for such mistakes must face disciplinary action. Otherwise, these lapses will continue unchecked,鈥 said social activist Ramesh Pathak.
Experts also warn that repeated blunders by the electricity department could severely erode public trust in government institutions. Electricity is a basic necessity, not a luxury. If people feel they鈥檙e being overcharged and ignored, it becomes a governance issue, said Patna-based economist Arvind Rao.