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Thursday, Apr 03, 2008
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Power consumers’ panel raps discoms

Staff Reporter

For slapping consumers with ‘highly oppressive and unreasonable’ penalties

NEW DELHI: The recently constituted Electricity Consumers’ Advocate Committee has rapped the discoms on their knuckles for failing to be “consumer friendly”. It has come down heavily on the discoms for raising bills for consumption of electricity that is more than two years old and slapping consumers with “highly oppressive and unreasonable” penalties.

The Committee, at its very first meeting in the Capital this past week, has taken the view that outstanding payment should be computed from the date the company becomes entitled to raise the bill in respect of a demand and not from the date on which the company chooses to raise a demand.

“The limitation for recovery of arrears as prescribed in Section 56 (2) of the Electricity Act, 2003, is two years, but the distribution companies are trying to enforce even old demands on the plea that the two-year period of limitation as prescribed in the Act is to be computed from the date they raise their demand for those arrears for the first time,” the Committee noted.

The ECAC that has been constituted by the Delhi Government under the aegis of Public Grievances Cell has been set up to represent the consumers adequately before regulatory commission and appellate tribunals in the matters related to tariff, cross-subsidy and quality of service.

The Committee also pointed out that penalties and damages imposed by the discoms in cases of alleged theft appear to be “highly oppressive and unreasonable” and the method of calculating the consumption on the basis of connected load is also “unrealistic and not consumer friendly”. It has cautioned the discoms against “arm twisting of consumers” for recover of dues.

Taking cognisance of the consumers’ dissatisfaction, the Committee has suggested a review of the performance of the Consumer Grievances Redress Forums (CGRF) of the various discoms.

“The monitoring of the notified performance standards by the discoms and the shortcomings in the implementation thereof also requires serious consideration and necessary follow up action. Public awareness and involvement of resident’ welfare association is also needed,” the Committee has put forth.

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