BJP Leader Accuses Trinamool of Exploiting Power Consumers in West Bengal

Adhikari said that the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) has surreptitiously “rearranged” tariff slabs, resulting in a significant surge in electricity bills for consumers during the ongoing summer season.

Adhikari condemned the alleged actions of WBSEDCL, labeling them as “shrewd and cunning” tactics designed to extract more money from consumers without officially increasing tariff rates. He claims that while the tariff rates remain unchanged, the reshuffling of existing slabs disproportionately burdens consumers, leading to substantially higher bills.

The BJP leader highlighted that under the revised tariff slabs, consumers could face up to a 20% increase in bills for consuming 300 units of electricity. With a consumer base of 2.03 crore, the impact of these changes could be substantial for households across West Bengal.

Adhikari took to social media to expose what he deemed as inconsistencies in the revised tariff structure for quarterly electric bills from May to July. He provided two scenarios to illustrate the potential financial burden on consumers under the new slabs.

In scenario 1, where electricity consumption amounts to 300 units, Adhikari claims that consumers would now be charged ₹2,351.18 compared to ₹1,948.60 under the old slab. Similarly, in scenario 2, with consumption of 1000 units, consumers could face a bill of ₹8,805.18 instead of ₹7,456.04 under the previous arrangement.

Despite attempts to seek clarification, neither state power secretary Santanu Basu nor the WBSEDCL spokesperson responded to Adhikari’s allegations.

Adhikari’s accusations have stirred controversy and raised concerns among consumers.