Kangana Ranaut claims to receive Rs 1 lakh power bill, Himachal electricity board says old dues included
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's recent claim of receiving an electricity bill of nearly Rs 1 lakh for her reportedly unoccupied house in Manali has drawn a rebuttal from the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, which clarified that the bill covered two months and included pending charges.
Shimla: Days after actor-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut alleged that she received an electricity bill of nearly Rs 1 lakh for her unoccupied residence in Manali, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) clarified that the bill in question included old dues and reflected consistently high power consumption. At a recent public meeting in Mandi, a video of which went viral, Ranaut criticised the Congress government in the state over what she called an "inflated" bill. "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," she said.
In a detailed statement issued on Wednesday, HPSEBL termed the claim “completely wrong and misleading,” explaining that the amount of Rs 90,384 covered two billing cycles — for January and February — and included previous unpaid 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. The connected load of the house is 94.82 KW, which is around 1,500 per cent higher than that of a standard domestic connection,” the board said.
According to HPSEBL, Ranaut had not cleared her electricity bills for the months of October, November, and December 2024 on time. These dues had accumulated to Rs 82,061. The latest payment, made on March 28, covered the consumption for January and February, when the house reportedly used around 14,000 units of electricity.
Unusually high consumption, power subsidy extended: Board
Officials pointed out that average monthly consumption at the property ranged from 5,000 to 9,000 units — a figure significantly above that of a typical household. The board also noted that the electricity connection in Ranaut's name is eligible for a power subsidy under the state government’s scheme. “Despite the high consumption, the connection is extended the applicable subsidy like any other domestic consumer in Himachal Pradesh,” the statement added.
Ranaut, a first-time MP from Mandi, has frequently spoken out on issues related to governance and infrastructure since taking office. Her comment on the power bill was part of a broader criticism of the state’s public service delivery under the Congress-led government.
(With PTI inputs)