Chennai: Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation (TNPDCL) is set to privatise meter reading and engage third-party manpower through contracts from Oct onwards to curb erratic assessments that result in wrong and inflated power bills.
The contract meter readers shall ensure that the actual meter reading is recorded at the consumer premises, the correct service connection is selected in the application, and the assessment is completed within the prescribed billing cycle,” said a circular issued to all field engineers from TNPDCL headquarters. Consumer activist T Sadagopan welcomed the move and said it would curtail the notorious practice of ‘table reading’. The contract workers should be duly monitored by TNPDCL,” he said. However, TNPDCL assessors’ association president Kannan said the move would do more harm than good. We oppose this privatisation move,” he said.
“If the contract workers assess meters without delay, consumption will not jump to high slabs, and it will prevent inflated bills. “The contract workers will not have any responsibility and may indulge in ‘table reading’ without visiting the consumer premises or under-assess consumption to favour some consumers. The officials did not even consult the unions by issuing a notice as per procedure.