Tangedco bans white meter cards with pvt ads

“Hereinafter, issuance of the white meter card sponsored by private persons to the consumer is strictly prohibited and the card printed at TNEB press is the approved formal shall only be issued to all the low-tension consumers,” said a memo issued by the Tangedco on June 25.

The Tangedco issued this memo in the wake of an advertisement of a Christian prayer centre published in the meter card at Pallikonda inVellore district.

Pro-Hindu groups protested against the power utility for distributing the cards with the advertisement of Shalom Revival Prayer Ministries at Pallikonda. A video of local Tangedco officials confronted by some fringe groups about the issue had gone viral in the social media.

In the memo, Tangedco said, “It is noted that some of the Electricity Distribution Circles are issuing the WMC supplied by some private persons at free of cost with their business advertisements. Recently, some consumers lodged a complaint against an advertisement with objectionable content published in the WMC issued in one section office. This is not in order.”

It said that the format for the white meter card to be adopted by Tangedco as contemplated in regulation 8(1) of TNERC Supply code had been approved by the commission on in February 2011.

The approved format for white meter card had already been communicated to all chief engineers and superintending engineers through a letter dated August 10, 2012, it said, pointing out that during the year 2018-19, a total 1.8 crore of cards have been printed at TNEB press in Chennai, which were issued to alldistribution circles.

“For the year 2019-20, the approval had been obtained to print one crore of white meter card for all distribution circles and the work is under progress,” the memo said, adding that in case of acute shortage of WMC owing to any inevitable reasons, the superintending engineers should arrange to print WMC locally in the TNERC approved format for immediate requirement – but only with approval of the chief engineer of thedistribution wing.

“If any deviation is found, necessary action deemed fit will be taken against the concerned official,” it warned.