31-07-2015 – This appeal has been filed with a petition for condoning the delay of about 54 days.

2.    Heard, Mr. A.K. Tiwari, learned counsel appearing for the appellants on the prayer for condoning the delay and also on merits.

3.    He assailed the impugned order and submitted that the respondents are issuing electrical bills wrongly on D.S.-2 category in place of D-1. He submitted that similarly situated persons are being billed on D-1 category.

4.    The appellants-complainants filed the present complaint case alleging as follows. They applied for electrical connection for their houses situated in the rural area. Accordingly they deposited Rs. 15/150. After long delay electrical connection was given. ‘Lakhna’ Mouza is situated within ‘Bherwa’ rural area but instead of issuing bills on rural tariff, respondents are issuing bills on urban tariff which were not corrected inspite of several requests.

5.    According to the O.Ps- Respondents- Jharkhand State Electricity Board (J.S.E.B. for short) in a camp organized by J.S.E.B., the complainants applied for electrical connection as rural consumers by showing the rural papers and started consuming electricity. After verification the bills were issued under D.S.-2 category. Complainants were being supplied electricity from urban feeder/urban transformer. All the consumers in ‘Lakhna’ were being billed correctly under D.S.-2 category as per the tariff. The request of the complainants for converting the D.S.-2 category into D-1 category was not acceptable.

6.    The parties led documentary and oral evidence.

7.    The learned District Forum held that from the Map and the bills produced on behalf of the J.S.E.B., it was clear that all the connections in the neighbourhood of the complainants were under D.S.-2 category and no resident of ‘Lakhna’ was under D-1 category. It held that therefore issuance of bills under D.S.-2 category to the complainants was not wrong and accordingly dismissed the complaint.

8.    After hearing Mr. Tiwari at length and going through the brief, we are satisfied that no grounds are made out for interfering with the aforesaid findings arrived at by learned District Forum.

9.    In the result, even if, the delay of about 54 days in filing this appeal is ignored, we find no merit in this appeal, which is accordingly dismissed.

                   Issue free copy of this order to all concerned for information and needful.

                    Ranchi,

                    Dated:-31/07/2015