HPSEBL says 'bills' included old dues after Kangana's Rs 1 lakh power bill claim

Shimla: After BJP MP and actor-politician Kangana Ranaut claimed that she received an electricity bill of around Rs 1 lakh for a month for her "unoccupied" house in Manali, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited on Wednesday said the bills amounting to Rs 90,384 were for two months, which included old dues.

Ranaut, the BJP MP from Mandi, recently criticised the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh over the "inflated electricity bill" during a public meeting in her constituency, a video of which went viral on social media.

"I received an electricity bill of Rs 1 lakh for one month for my house in Manali. I don't even live there. It is such a miserable condition," the "Queen" fame actor said.

Terming Ranaut's claim "completely wrong and misleading", the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) said in a statement that the bills amounting to Rs 90,384 were for two months -- January and February -- which also included previous dues of Rs 32,287.

"The domestic connection under No. 100000838073 is registered in the name of Kangana Ranaut at her residence in Simsa village in Manali."

"It is clarified that the connected load of her house is 94.82 KW, which is 1500 per cent more than the average electric load for a normal house. She (Ranaut) did not pay her bills from October to December on time," the HPSEBL said in the statement.

The total electricity bill for Ranaut's residence for October, November and December, 2024, stood at Rs 82,061, which was not paid on time, the HPSEBL said.

"The bills for January and February were paid on March 28, the total consumption during which was 14,000 units.

"So, it becomes clear that the monthly consumption at Ranaut's residence was very high, ranging from 5,000 units to 9,000 units on average. She also receives a subsidy given by the Himachal Pradesh government on electricity bills," the statement said.