THODUPUZHA: Three employees of KSEB have been suspended for fraud which caused a loss of lakhs to KSEB. Electricity meter readings of more than two hundred consumers were faked by the employees. Thodupuzha Section- 1 Office Assistant Engineer Srinivasan, Sub N Engineers Pradeep Kumar and Anoop Suspended for investigative purposes.

The suspension is as per the recommendations of the Technical Department, KSEB Vigilance. A couple of months ago, a contract employee in section- 1 who took readings was dismissed and suspensions were handed over to the Superintendent and senior assistants. The dismissed contract employee had been recording low meter reading for the past two years. Due to this, the board has lost lakhs. The officers were suspended because they failed to monitor the contract workers. It is also being investigated whether the officers had involvement in the incident.

In May, when the meter readers were replaced with each other the disorder in the readings was discovered. As per the new readings, there was a significant change. Consumers who used to get billed around Rs 2000 got billed up to Rs 35,000. An increase was found in the Kumaramanglam, Manacaud panchayats. Following complaints from consumers regarding the increase in the bills, the board questioned the employee who took meter readings earlier. He admitted to faking the readings.

The employee had recorded lower meter readings than the actual reading. It is unclear why the employee recorded lower meter readings. Following this, KSEB handed over the case to Vigilance. More than 30 consumers in the Thodupuzha corporation received hiked electricity bills at the start of the month.

A consumer who used to get an average bill of around Rs 2000-2500 got bills ranging from Rs 30,000 to 60,000. Then, under the leadership of the Chairman of the corporation and the counsellor, the consumers lead a protest at the KSEB office. However, KSEB officials have clarified that the higher readings have come up in areas where the dismissed contract employee used to work.

Even two months after the incident, the KSEB has not made it clear to the customers how the readings were faked. So far 230 complaints have been received in connection with this incident. Meters of overbilled customers were inspected by a special squad of KSEB. An irregularity has been found in the readings.

The executive engineer has clarified further details can be found only after the investigation of Vigilance. Even though the executive engineer has told the consumers not to pay the hiked bills, the consumers are anxious about whether the next electricity bill would also be overbilled.