The Hindu : Kerala News : Restaurant refutes report

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 11, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Restaurant refutes report

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 10. The Amma Restaurant here has refuted reports about irregularities connected with the Electricity Board.

S. Karthikeyan, representative of the partnership firm which runs the restaurant said in a clarification today that the eatery was facing a loss and difficulties due to the `exorbitant and disproportionate' bills issued by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). It had made repeated complaints to the authorities. The Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) concerned had offered in April this year to keep the meter under observation for a period.

While the observation was on, the KSEB issued a bill for Rs 2.78 lakhs. The restaurant took it up before the High Court and obtained a direction from it to the Deputy Chief Engineer (DCE) to consider an appeal against it. The DCE however upheld the bill.

Mr. Karthikeyan said that at that stage on legal advice the restaurant submitted an appeal to the Government. It also approached the High Court again. He claimed that the High Court through its judgement dated May 31 directed the engineer concerned to issue a revised bill on finding that there was excess billing.

He felt that the High Court's direction vindicated the restaurant's stand.

Referring to another point made in the report, he said that the restaurant had applied and got its connected load increased from 12 KW to 16 KW as demanded by the KSEB after an inspection. It was regularised way back in 2001.

He contended that apart from that there was no incident of any theft of power by using any unauthorised device.

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