PRESIDENT, DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, SAMBALPUR

Consumer Complaint No.- 229/2024

Present-Dr. Ramakanta Satapathy, President,

  Sri. Sadananda Tripathy, Member,

Mithila Behera, Aged about 44 years,

W/O-Sachindra Pruseth, R/O-Reserve Police Line, Q. No. PWB 137,

Dist-Sambalpur-768001,Odisha, India          

Mob No. 7894245192.                                         ……………..Complainant

Vrs

Office of the Electrical Section Officer, Back Side of Govt. Bus Stand

Laxmi Talkies Chowk, Sambalpur.                                          …….....Opp.Party

Counsels:-

1. For the Complainant         :- Self
2. For the O.P.                        :- Samapika Mohanty & Anurag Dash

Date of Filing:29.07.2024,  Date of Hearing :08.10.2024,  Date of Judgement :25.11.2024

Presented by Dr. Ramakanta Satapathy, PRESIDENT

1. The case of the Complainant is that Qr. No.PWD/137 inside the Reserve police line is allotted to the Complainant who is working as W/C No. 789 and having Consumer No. 411633020444. The O.P. suddenly visited the quarter and took away the electricity meter bearing Consumer No. 411633020047 in the name R.B. Mahapatra. R.B. Mahapatra is having an arrear of Rs. 1,90,842/-. From the date of installation bills are paid regularly. When the arrear was demanded the Complainant refused and the O.P. disconnected the power supply. Objections were made but the O.P. harassed. Being aggrieved complaint has been filed.
2. The O.P. in reply submitted that Consumer No. 416-3302-0047 earlier allotted to R.B. Mahapatra at Qr. No. PWD/137 with permitted load of 2KW/LT/Domestic Category. Till August 2024 the arrear is Rs. 1,87,895/-. This is a billing dispute and not maintainable before this Commission.
3. Perused the documents filed by both the parties. From the message dated 11.01.2024 it reveals that C/789 Mithila Behera is having Consumer No. 411633020444 and Rs. 2309/- bill has been generated. As per statement of Complainant the quarter was earlier allotted to Havildar Mujor Lambodar Sahu then it was allotted to the Complainant. One Arpita mam of the O.P. office changed the meter and told the Complainant that meter No. 411633020047 has been allotted to her. The said meter No. 411633020444 has been transferred to fire quarter.

The O.P. is totally silent on consumer No. 4116330-20444 and raised bills against consumer No. 4116-330-20047.

From the documents it is clear that statement of the Complainant is true. The O.P. changed meter No. 411633020444 allotted to Hav. Maj Lambodar Sahu to another fire quarter and installed meter in the name of R.B. Mahapatra and claiming arrear of Rs. 1,87,895/- which is not only illegal but also unfair trade practice and harassment to the consumer.

Accordingly, following order is passed:

ORDER

The complaint is allowed against the O.P. The O.P. is directed to install the meter allotted to Hav. Major Lambodar Sahu bearing No. 4116-3300-20444 within one month of this order. The arrears payment received against Consumer No. 4116-6302-0047 from Complainant be refunded with 12% interest P.A. from the date of receipt. For harassment the O.P. is directed  to pay compensation of Rs. 50,000/- and litigation expenses of Rs. 10,000/- to the Complainant.

Order pronounced in the open court on 25^th day of Nov, 2024.

Supply frees copies to the parties.