Assam: Tea estate workers in Margherita allege major electricity scam worth lakhs, demand probe

Residents at Powai tea estate in Margherita, Assam have alleged major scam in power bills amounting to lakhs.  

Accusing the power department of major discrepancies in the electricity bills, the workers at Powai tea estate alleged that between 2018 and 2023, a significant Rs 29 lakh electricity scam has surfaced under the tenure of Jayanta Parmanik, a contractual employee of the Margherita division at Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL).

Jayanta Parmanik was responsible for taking meter readings from the tea workers' residences and depositing the collected money every fortnight to the authorities of the Powai tea estate. The Powai tea estate, part of the amalgamated company, deducted electricity charges from the workers' fortnightly salaries, ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 500 per household.

However, the tea workers expressed dissatisfaction with the anomalous electricity bills, which were compulsorily deducted. Despite the deductions, the workers found that the Rs 29 lakh paid by them was not deposited into the government treasury. This discrepancy raised serious concerns among the workers.

Meanwhile, Shiban Goswami, Manager of APDCL Margherita Electrical Sub division refused to comment anything on the allegations raised by the tea estate workers.

During the Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Minister announced that the entire electricity fee for the tea workers would be waived off. This announcement, perceived as a government vacuum, came as digital meters were introduced, leading to inconsistencies in billing. Some workers who received bills as low as Rs 500 per month were suddenly charged up to Rs 25,000 in a single month.

The situation has left the tea workers in shock, especially as Margherita Assam Power Distribution Limited has continued to pressure them with online reminders of the outstanding pre-existing amounts.

In response, the educated youth of the Powai tea estate have demanded a high-level investigation by the Assam government to uncover the whereabouts of the Rs 29 lakh, suspecting that the amount has been misappropriated.