Delhi CM warns power distributors over inflated bills

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has asked the there power distribution companies in the national capital region - BRPL, BYPL, and NDPL - to improve their performance and look into complaints of inflated bills.

"The chief minister told the discoms, especially BSES, to perform up to the expectation of consumers or the government will not hesitate to take any action it deems fit," a statement from the chief minister's office said.

The chief minister held a number of meetings on Saturday with various resident associations in the capital and also met officials from the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), and the Public Grievances Committee. She also interacted with the distribution companies and the power secretary.

Dixit has specifically asked the power distributors to extend the deadline for August bill payments till end of September.

DERC is expected to set up a committee to look into the various issues and will come up with a report in a month's time. It has formed a committee to look into the billing software of various companies and to seek help from the ministry of information technology.

Dixit cited the dissatisfaction of consumers, in particular with Reliance's BSES, and said that the bulk of the complaints were against it. A report has earlier revealed inflation of bills by 100 to 200 per cent for the consumers of BRPL and BYPL.