1 week Ago
BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh and alleged this week that she received an electricity bill of ₹ 1 lakh for my house in Manali. She said she doesn’t even live in that house. The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has now clarified these claims.
HPSEBL's clarification The HPSEBL said that Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut's power consumption is significantly higher than that of an average household and that the pending amount includes arrears. A domestic electricity connection under consumer number 100000838073 is registered in Kangana Ranaut's name for her residence in Simsa village, Manali, news agency ANI cited HPSEBL as saying. "The current bill of ₹ 90,384 reflects electricity usage over two months and includes ₹ 32,287 in arrears," the Board said in a statement on Tuesday (April 8).
"It is misleading to suggest that the ₹ 90,384 bill is for a single month. It includes unpaid dues and late payment surcharges from previous billing cycles," said Sandeep Kumar, Managing Director of HPSEBL. Kumar also provided details of the consumption pattern.
He said Ranaut's home has a connected load of 94.82 kilowatts "which is 1500 per cent higher than the power load of a standard household." The HPSEBL official said Ranaut's monthly electricity usage ranges between 5,000 to 9,000 units, significantly above normal household levels.
The Board said Ranaut delayed bill payments for the first quarter of 2024-25. In particular, December's consumption was 6,000 units, with ₹ 31,367 outstanding. February saw a consumption spike to 9,000 units, generating a bill of ₹ 58,096, including late fees.
"The electricity bill for October, November, and December 2024 stood at ₹ 82,061, which was paid only on January 16, 2025," Kumar was quoted by ANI as saying. "She has consistently delayed her monthly bill payments. The dues for January and February were cleared only on March 28, 2025, with total consumption reaching 14,000 units.
" He also confirmed that she has been availing of the state's electricity subsidy, receiving ₹ 700 as relief on her February bill. Himachal CMreacts Kanaut’s statement quickly drew a response from the Himachal Pradesh Congress unit, which termed her as “unfair” and “irresponsible”. Congress leader Suleman Mohd Khan told NDTV , “This is unfair on Kangana’s part.
She has a serious responsibility. This statement was made for cheap publicity. She should write to the officials concerned.
” Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “...
I don't take her statements seriously. She keeps on giving these kinds of statements.” Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Sukhu, told ANI that such remarks by Kangana Ranaut are aimed at attracting media attention and if there is really an issue, it should be addressed by consulting the officials of the electricity board.
"One can simply verify the old consumption records, unit usage and applicable rates rather than making generalised accusations...
Calling the government 'robbers' may be her regular thing but it's not in line with constructive political discourse...
If there's an actual discrepancy in the meter reading or billing, there's a system in place to address it," he said..
