Chandigarh, Aug. 14 -- More than 9,200 electricity billing-related complaints were reported in the 2025-26 financial year after the privatisation of power distribution in the city, according to data shared by the Ministry of Power in the Lok Sabha. A Kolkata-based private firm had taken over operations of the Chandigarh electricity department on February 1, 2025. The ministry informed that the complaints - 9,257 in all - were registered through the customer relationship management (CRM) system and resolved as per the prescribed grievance redressal mechanisms. The data comes amid continued concerns over electricity tariffs and billing accuracy after the handover of the city's power distribution to a private entity. The government, however, did not specify whether an average consumer's electricity bills have increased post-privatisation, stating that tariff determination falls under the jurisdiction of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Union Territories. Tariffs for Chandigarh were revised for the period 2025-26 to 2029-30 and came into effect from November 1, 2025, following approval by the JERC. Reacting to the reply, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari said the response failed to directly address whether electricity bills of ordinary consumers had risen post-privatisation. "Look how detailed the question is and how evasive the answer is - it elevates obfuscation to an absolute fine art," said Tewari. He added that while the government highlighted smart meter deployment, residents were aware that such meters are optional and not compulsory. "That is why post-privatisation only 2,037 smart meters have been installed," he said. Calling the response "disappointing", Tewari said it reflected a broader trend of declining parliamentary accountability. "The answer on the whole is disappointing and is reflective of how Parliament has been dumbed down by the executive since 2014," he said....