Despite a High Court directive to enable digital transactions, BESCOM continues to insist on DD payments, leaving consumers frustrated and questioning its resistance to digitisation.
Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is under sharp criticism for failing to implement digital payment options despite a clear directive from the Karnataka High Court. While most government departments now allow UPI, NEFT, and online transfers, BESCOM still insists on demand drafts (DD) for transactions above ₹10,000, a system many say is outdated and anti-consumer.
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The inconvenience for customers is glaring. To make a DD payment, consumers must visit banks, write challans and cheques, pay service charges, and stand in long queues before submitting the DD at BESCOM offices. A small error, even a single letter in the DD, leads to outright rejection. This not only wastes an entire working day but also disrupts regular business and personal schedules.
Customers argue that in the era of real-time UPI and online transfers, BESCOM’s reliance on DDs reflects a refusal to embrace digitisation, contradicting the Centre’s push for a cashless economy. Frustration is mounting as lakhs of consumers struggle with the cumbersome system daily.
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The matter is even more serious as it involves non-compliance with judicial orders. On November 20, 2024, the Karnataka High Court had ordered BESCOM to bring all transactions under digital payment within six months. BESCOM itself submitted an affidavit promising compliance by May 20, 2025. Both the six-month court deadline and BESCOM’s self-imposed timeline have long expired,yet, as of today, no digital system has been introduced.
This blatant disregard for judicial directions has sparked questions about accountability in the energy sector. Citizens are now demanding answers directly from Energy Minister K.J. George and BESCOM MD Shivashankar. The issue has escalated from being a matter of consumer inconvenience to one of governance and contempt of court.
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