Consumers are paying attention to common EB meters in apartments in Srirangam after the Common Power Tariff has been moved to Commercial Tariff. file | Photo Credit: Srinath M
heyjust a few months ago, Tamil Nadu had hiked tariffs for a host of electricity consumers, Now, domestic consumers as well as some other categories of consumers have been asked to do the same Link their Aadhaar details with their service connection numbers,
Prima facie, the process should not have caused any problems, given that the state had directed people to link their ration card details with their Aadhaar numbers five years ago. But, the latest move by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has created a lot of heat.
It all started in mid-November when a section of consumers, who had to pay their bi-monthly bills, complained that they could make their payment only if they submitted their Aadhaar details.
This came as a surprise as TANGEDCO has not made any announcement regarding linking of service connection numbers with Aadhaar numbers, however, on October 6, the State Energy Department issued an order Stating that those who want to avail the subsidy should link their Aadhaar number with their service connection number.
As of now, the campaign covers about 2.3 crore household connections, 22.85 lakh agriculture connections, 10.6 lakh huts and 1.6 lakh power looms, though the order also covers places of public worship (1.52 lakh) and handlooms (74,500).
When consumers began complaining that there were bottlenecks in completing the process, the authorities responded by extending the payment deadline by two days.
When the problem persisted, Power Minister V. Senthil Balaji announced on 26 November that electricity bills could be paid without linking service connection numbers with Aadhaar. he said Special camps will be organized to link Aadhaar with service connection number From November 28 to December 31, consumers will be able to pay their bills without any hassle.
Noting complaints about the process of Aadhaar linking, which involved uploading images of Aadhaar cards, the power utility removed that requirement. Instead, it wants consumers to provide their service connection numbers and mobile numbers linked to Aadhaar.
TANGEDCO chief, Rajesh Lakhoni tweeted that an online portal was deployed in the cloud to link Aadhaar with service connection numbers. Still, there are reports of users facing difficulties. As of 2 December, Aadhaar numbers of about 47.2 lakh connections had been submitted.
while leaders like AIADMK’s ousted coordinator O PanneerselvamAnd BJP state president K. Annamalai has said that consumers should be given more time, CPI(M) leader K. Balakrishnan questioned the need to link Aadhaar with service connection numbers.
He said the decision has “created a lot of fear among the general public and especially among people living on rent.” Mr Panneerselvam recalled how MK Stalin, as Leader of the Opposition, had opposed the announcement to stop subsidy for LPG cylinders for those who did not provide Aadhaar details.
The power minister cited the condition of the central government as the reason for the move. He said the move would help in determining the exact number of domestic consumers and other categories of consumers.
The Energy Department order has invoked the relevant section of the law on Aadhaar which deals with proof of Aadhaar number required for receipt of certain subsidies, benefits and services.
As the process began talks began that the government would eventually withdraw the current concession of free 100 units to domestic consumers. Mr Senthil Balaji was forced to reiterate that the concession would not be withdrawnIrrespective of the number of connections the consumer has.
What cannot be ignored is the fact that slums and farms have also been enjoying free power supply for a longer period of time than the household category.
While consumers feel that the process of updating the database should be a continuous and ongoing exercise without any time limit, officials say that unless there is “pressure”, consumers may not take the issue seriously. If there is a helpline, it may address some of these concerns.