The Hindu : `No need for KERC to set up grievance redressal forum'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

`No need for KERC to set up grievance redressal forum'

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, MARCH 15. The Karnataka State Federation of Consumers' Organisations here has proposed several amendments to the draft regulations for the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission 2004 in the interest of consumers.

In a representation to the KERC, C.M. Muniramappa, president of the federation, Sevanthi D. Rai, executive president, and S.P. Thirumala Rao, general secretary of the federation, have sought introduction of a regulation in a suitable form to make the licensee recover the compensation amount paid to the consumers from the salary of the staff responsible for the delay.

It was pointed out that the delay in rendering services was mostly due to corrupt practices and hence the required changes should be introduced to improve the services.

The consumers' federation has taken exception to the procedure for grievance redressal and lodging of complaints in the proposed regulations which states that in the event a complainant is not satisfactorily redressed he/she shall submit his grievance to the forum not later than one month from the date of lodging of the grievance with the licensee.

The draft regulation also moots the constitution of a separate forum for consumer grievance redressal, which the consumers federation says, is a wasteful expenditure as there is already a parallel organisation established under the Consumer Protection Act.

"It will be wise to think twice before saddling the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission with an extra expenditure of establishing a separate consumer dispute redressal forum. From the experience gained by our organisation while guiding aggrieved consumers about lodging complaints before the district forum set up under Consumer Protection Act, it can be said that since the relief is in the form of Rs. 50 as compensation, none of the consumers of electricity who are aggrieved, will like to lodge a complaint or attend the hearings of the proposed Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum, at a place far away from their place of residence," the federation said.

"Hence it would be a wasteful expenditure to set up a separate forum parallel to the one set up under the Consumer Protection Act. Incidentally, the number of complaints lodged before these district forums in the districts of Karnataka does not exceed double digit," the federation added.

It pointed out that a consumer, who has suffered damages due to deficient service of the KPTCL would prefer to get his grievances redressed through the District Fora established under the Consumer Protection Act which is empowered to award compensation for the actual damages sustained by the complainant rather than approach a new forum which can only award Rs. 50 as compensation, it said.

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