Raipur, June 30 (APAC Media): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has extended the “Electricity Bill Payment Resolution Scheme” by three months.
Under the extension, electricity consumers can clear pending bills without paying any late payment surcharge.
The move aims to provide relief to thousands of consumers struggling with long-pending electricity dues due to financial constraints.
Under the extended scheme, consumers will not be charged any additional surcharge on pending electricity bills.
The state government aims to provide relief and encourage timely settlement of dues without financial burden.
It has also urged consumers to use the extended period to clear their outstanding bills within the scheme timeline.
The Chhattisgarh State Power Company has clarified the updated billing and surcharge system issued by the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC).
It said reports circulating on social media about “double penalty” or “daily interest” are misleading and incorrect.
According to the company, the revised system has been designed to reduce the financial burden on consumers and make the surcharge structure more transparent.
Under the previous system, consumers who delayed payment by one or two days were charged a flat 1.5% surcharge for the entire month.
Officials said this structure was unfair to consumers who made minor delays in payment. It often led to higher financial penalties even for short-term delays.
Under the revised system, late payment surcharge is calculated on a daily basis at 0.04% per day.
This means consumers will now pay only for the exact number of days of delay. There is no fixed monthly penalty for short delays.
The calculation method has also been made more transparent. Overall, the surcharge burden on consumers has been reduced.
For example, a delay of 30 days will now attract a 1.2% surcharge (0.04% × 30), compared to the earlier 1.5% flat monthly charge.
Even a single day’s delay will now result in a minimal surcharge of 0.04%, making the system more consumer-friendly.
The power company has urged the public and media to avoid misinformation and understand the revised rules correctly.
Officials said the new system is not a penalty increase but a rationalisation of charges aimed at consumer benefit.
Consumers have been advised to rely only on verified information to avoid confusion over electricity billing rules.
The extension of the electricity bill relief scheme, along with the revised surcharge system, marks a consumer-friendly move by the Chhattisgarh government.
With lower penalties and flexible payment options, the initiative aims to ease financial pressure on consumers while improving compliance and revenue recovery.
