30% power meters in names of deceased, finds KYC verification

The decision of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) to do the Know Your Customer (KYC) verification of its customers is causing trouble to many people in Kangra district. The HPSEBL is doing the KYC verification on the direction of the state government.

Sources said that HPSEBL officials on the KYC verification duty in Kangra district had found that about 30 per cent of the electricity meters were in the names of dead people. An HPSEBL official said in many cases, people had not got the electricity meters transferred in their names even when the family member in whose name it was installed had passed away. Such cases had been found in both urban and rural areas. "We have directed people to get the electricity meters transferred in their names to get the KYC verification done," he adds.

SK Mahajan, a resident of Shahpur, said at his ancestral house, the electricity meter was in the name of his father. "After the death of my father, we continued to use the same electricity meter issued in his name. The house where the electricity meter was installed was a joint family property. The HPSEBL authorities, who had done the KYC verification, told me that I would have to get the meter transferred in my name. Now, I would have do the paper work after taking other members of the family into confidence and get the electricity meter transferred in my name," he added.

Vikas Thakur, Executive Engineer, HPSEBL, Dharamsala, said in about 30 per cent of the cases where the KYC verification had been done, it was found that the meters were registered in the names of deceased people. "We are not taking any penal action against the occupants of the houses in such cases. However, they have been told to get the electricity metres transferred in their names," he added.

Thakur said that the occupants of a house had to submit the death certificate of the person in whose name the electricity meter was installed and move a simple application to get it transferred in the name of one of them. "In case of a joint property, the occupants of a house will also have to submit a no objection certificate (NOC) from other co-owners to get the electricity meter transferred," he added.

The sources said that in case of a property dispute among the shareholders, they may find it difficult to get a new electricity meter. The Himachal Government had ordered the KYC verification of all electricity consumers in the state to check the misuse of subsidy being paid on power to domestic consumers. "In many cases, people had installed several meters in one house to avail of subsidy. In such cases, people may be directed to get one meter installed in one house. Besides, if the government decides to transfer subsidy on power directly to the bank accounts of the consumers, all people having electricity connections in the names of dead persons may also lose subsidy," he added.