NOIDA: Residents of sector 51, Noida, have strongly opposed the electricity department’s new directive that bans the payment of power bills through cheques, making online transactions mandatory for all consumers.
Terming the move “impractical and exclusionary,” residents said it would cause unnecessary hardship for households already struggling with billing issues, especially for senior citizens and those unfamiliar with digital payment methods.
“We haven’t received electricity bills since January. It is every consumer’s right to get a hard copy whenever a bill is generated. Senior citizens, in particular, are facing difficulties making online payments. The process is not only cumbersome – with OTPs and multiple steps—but also not entirely safe,” said Sanjeev Kumar, general secretary of Sector 51 RWA and senior vice-president of the District Development RWA (DDRWA), Gautam Budh Nagar.
“When the department fails to deliver bills on time, how can it expect people to make timely payments? Our stand is simple – no bill, no payment. If the department cannot ensure delivery of bills, it has no right to penalise consumers or disconnect power,” added Kumar.
The DDRWA federation has written to the electricity department, demanding an immediate rollback of both decisions—the discontinuation of cheque payments and the irregularity in bill delivery.
Residents say the cheque payment option is essential for senior citizens who are not adept with digital modes and for institutions such as RWAs, community halls, and security offices that require multiple signatories for transactions.
“Our federation and other community facilities like Barat Ghar, security rooms, and federation offices make payments through cheques signed by three committee members – the president, general secretary, and treasurer. Online payment simply doesn’t work in such cases,” said Amit Kumar, a sector 51 resident.
The federation has warned that it will continue its protest if the decision is not reconsidered. “We urge the department to restore both facilities in the interest of consumers,” added Kumar.
Explaining the reason behind the earlier decision to restrict cheque payments, Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, Noida zone chief engineer, Sanjay Kumar Jain said, “As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for promoting digital transactions, we have been gradually shifting to online systems. In line with that, the decision was taken. However, keeping public convenience in mind, we have now allowed RWAs to make payments through cheques as well”.