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Dispose consumers’ grievances effectively: OERC

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) on Wednesday asked grievances redressal fora (GRF) and ombudsmen to award compensation to consumers for deficiency in service by utilities.

Taking exception to smaller number of cases of awarding compensations for violation of minimum standards, the commission exhorted the GRF and ombudsmen to pass orders within 45 days and two months respectively if utilities failed to appear for hearing.

The third annual interactive meeting between the OERC and GRF and ombudsmen were held here.

The commission directed 12 GRF and two Ombudsmen to hold regular camp courts and conduct tours to outline regions in different areas of the State in order to register and dispose consumer grievances effectively. The utilities were directed to give due publicity to these sittings.

The OERC said it would review the complaints of non-implementation of orders of the GRF and ombudsman.

Meanwhile, the commission expressed serious concern for poor revenue collection and maintenance of distribution systems of the utilities. All the distribution substations should be provided with switchgear and cabling at the rate of 20 per cent for the existing substations so that the whole exercise for 36,000 substations would be completed during the next five years, the OERC directed.

It said during the next ten years, renovation and modernisation of the network should also be completed. “With up-gradation and installations of 2000 transformers and utilisation of replaced transformers nearly 10 per cent new substations should be added so that the load growth is addressed,” the commission stated in its order.There were around 400 electrical accidents during last three years in the State solely due to poor maintenance of distribution system and non-adherence to safety rules, the commission observed during the review.

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