Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) Actress Tanishaa Mukerji has raised the issue of inflated electricity bills in Lonavala. On Tuesday, the actress took to her X, formerly Twitter, and penned a long note, as she expressed her anger at the Maharashtra state electricity board, and called them a “mafia”.
She wrote, “Maharashtra state electricity board in lonavala are behaving like mafia ! They are giving huge bills and forcing payment by cutting off electricity”.
She further mentioned, “This is just criminal! Coming on a Saturday evening to cut off the electricity even if it is before the due date and just holding people hostage. @CMOMaharashtra @Dev_Fadnavis @myogiadityanath @AmitShah @TataPower pls come to lonavala ! There is no regulation. They are just doing whatever they want! #inhuman”.
Recent complaints over inflated electricity bills in Maharashtra have increasingly centred on the rollout of smart meters by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), popularly known as Mahavitaran. Consumers in Thane, Vasai-Virar, Palghar, Ulhasnagar and other areas have reported bills substantially higher than their previous consumption, with some alleging sudden spikes after meter replacement.
In a recent case, a household in Nagpur received a bill of INR 1.44 lakh for 348 units. MSEDCL later acknowledged a meter-reading mismatch and revised the amount to about INR 13, 800.
MSEDCL maintains that smart meters do not inherently record higher consumption and says billing discrepancies can be investigated through meter testing. In Thane, the utility announced plans to install conventional “check meters” alongside 20–25% of new smart meters and compare readings over two to three months.
The authorities have also organised camps and technical teams to address the grievance and examine disputed bills and meters