Sanjay Kumar Mishra/Chandigarh
The Haryana Right to Service Commission has expressed serious concern over the case of a consumer who was issued electricity bills on an average basis for more than five years. The Commission said that it is highly regrettable that the consumer did not receive bills based on actual meter readings for such a long period, and that this issue remained unaddressed by the Nigam's review system.
Sharing information in this regard a spokesperson of the Commission said that this was not an isolated case, similar complaints have been raised in the past, prompting the Commission to issue repeated directions. In earlier orders, the Commission had directed the Managing Directors of both Nigam to formulate a relief or recovery policy in cases of such prolonged average billing.
The spokesperson said that the Commission observed that despite having sufficient monitoring systems in place, continuing to charge consumers on average billing for years tarnishes the reputation of the Nigam.
According to the facts of the case, the consumer’s final readings are based on actual consumption, which he must pay for. However, the lab report mentioned allegations that the meter was deliberately burnt. The Commission refrained from commenting on this, stating that such technical matters fall within the jurisdiction of the Nigam. If the consumer disagrees with the findings, they may appeal before the appropriate forum as per the rules.
The Commission held that issuing a lump-sum heavy bill to the consumer was unreasonable and unfair. The SGRA had earlier awarded only Rs. 1,000 as compensation to the complainant, which the Commission found inadequate.
Therefore, the Commission ordered compensation of Rs. 5000 (the maximum limit under the Act) to the consumer. The amount will be recovered from the officers found responsible for the lapse, after the investigation.