www.telegraphindia.com

Kalimpong, Sept. 12: This year when the entire country celebrates the festival of lights, the Maa Shyama Kali Mandir here will be in darkness, thanks to the local office of the West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB).

The WBSEB has disconnected power supply to the temple since April this year, citing non-payment of dues to the tune of around Rs 1.6 lakh. What the department has not bothered to explain is how a consumer (no B020144), whose average quarterly bill otherwise used to be around Rs 600-Rs 700, could consume electricity worth Rs 1,59,089 between January 2004 and March 2004.

The bill served on April 11, 2004 also shows that as much as 30778 “dutiable units” have been consumed during the period when even the reading of the department-installed metre at the temple shows an average consumption of 75 units every quarter.

Ever since, founder president of the temple Mahadeva Nandan Brahmacharya has been making frequent rounds of the local WBSEB office, but to no avail. “We have been forced to stay in the dark since April. Various officials at different times have demanded money ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 80,000 to settle the matter,” alleged Brahmacharya, who has approached Kalimpong Consumers’ Association (KCA) for help. “The WBSEB is trying to fleece the man. Why don’t they admit their mistake,” asked N.P. Dixit, the KCA president.

Biplab Roy, assistant engineer, WBSEB’s 10th Mile sub-centre, said he hoped the matter would be settled amicably after the Pujas. The department has agreed to provide power to the temple for the Pujas for a payment of Rs 2,600 as temporary charges.