Diwali shocker for a paanwala in Haryana, gets Rs 132 crore power bill

Chandigarh, Oct 24: A paan or betel-leaf seller in Haryana has got a shocker of an electricity bill this Diwali. His bill is a whopping over Rs.132 crore.

Rajesh, who runs a shop in Gohana town in Sonipat district, has got the electricity bill of Rs 132.29 crore for the month of October.

"I was shocked to read the amount. It is not that the amount was printed wrongly only in numerals. The full amount was written in words too," Rajesh said.

"I am a simple man with a small shop on rent. I use only a light bulb and a fan. My electricity bill is generally less than Rs.1,000. This bill is an absolute shocker," he said.

He said he will be visiting the electricity department office Friday to get the bill rectified.

The bill was issued by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN).

In the past also, the power department in Haryana has done such goof-ups.

A consumer in Haryana's Narnaul town got another shocker of an electricity bill in April 2007. Murari Lal was slapped with a bill of Rs.234 crore for the electricity used in his two-bedroom house.

IANS