Uproar in MP House as Congress says people getting inflated and fake power bills

Congress legislators on Tuesday tried to corner the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly claiming people are getting inflated and fake power bills even as the electricity supply remains erratic.

The MLAs became angry over Power Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar's statement in the House that 90 lakh of 1.22 crore power consumers are paying Rs 100 for 100 units consumed, prompting them to demand proof.

Congress MLA Phundelal Singh Marko told reporters power bills are being served in villages inhabited by Baiga tribals for the past year even though they lacked electricity connections.

Earlier in the day, Marko reached the Legislative Assembly wearing an apron mentioning power bills being sent to those who even don't have an electricity connection.

He entered the Well of the House during the zero hour wearing the apron.
Marko, who represents the Pushprajgarh constituency, later returned to his seat as directed by the Speaker.

Bhopal South West MLA PC Sharma of Congress, through a calling attention motion, raised the issue of permanent connections being not provided to residents of ward number 26.

During the discussion, Marko waved a bunch of papers claiming these are the bills served to the people who don't even have a power connection.
Sharma alleged inflated bills running into Rs 25,000-30,000 are being served to power consumers in his area.

At this time, Power Minister Tomar said 90 lakh of 1.22 crore power consumers are paying Rs 100 for 100 units consumed.

The Congress, however, demanded proof in support of his statement.
Later, other legislators of the main opposition party also joined in to allege erratic power supply and inflated power bills.

Congress MLA Sajjan Singh Verma accused power companies of looting consumers.

MLA Tarun Bhanot asked Speaker Girish Gautam if he is agreed with the Rs 100 power bills statement.

Leader of Opposition Govind Singh said he has written letters to power ministers about the discrepancies in electricity bills but nobody is ready to hear.

Later, the Speaker told power minister Tomar to redress all the complaints.
"It was the erstwhile Congress government that had fixed Rs 100 for 100 units consumed," PC Sharma told reporters.

Marko said bills are being served in the villages inhabited by Baiga tribals over the last one year though they lacked electricity connections.

Power company officials are saying these tribals have no other option but to pay the bills, he told reporters.