Complainant Surinder Kaur @ Sukhwinder Kaur through the present complaint filed under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (for short, ‘the Act’) has prayed that the illegal demand of Rs.57,890/- may be quashed and the opposite parties may kindly be directed to return Rs.19,000/- deposited by complainant under threats passed by opposite parties and they be directed to send the impugned bill again as per actual consumption of electricity and complainant is also claiming Rs.20,000/- as litigation expenses and Rs.20,000/- for mental harassment, the complainant may also be granted any other relief which he may be found entitled to.

2. The case of the complainant in brief is that she is the consumer of the opposite parties vide account No.G-47-PT-332111P which is on her name and complainant from last so many years is paying the electricity due regularly without any default and as such she is the consumer of the opposite parties. The sanctioned load of the complainant is 1.00 K.W. It was pleaded that the opposite parties had sent the bill dated 9.9.2015 amounting to Rs.57,890/- to the complainant which is wrong as the consumption of the complainant is limited to units and as per billing cycle which is clear from the perusal of the electricity bills. It was pleaded that opposite parties on the basis of impugned bill threatened the complainant that they will disconnect her electricity connection so in order to save the same complainant had deposited Rs.10,000/- and Rs.9,000/- vide two separate receipts dated 18.9.2015 and 24.9.2015. It was further pleaded that complainant was asked the opposite party No.4 for quashing the impugned bill as the same was illegal and false but the opposite party failed to take any action in the matter, rather they advised the complainant to file a complaint against the impugned bill as soon as possible otherwise the electric connection will be disconnected. It was also pleaded that opposite party had been acting arbitrarily and had sent the bill in question amounting to Rs.57,890/-on imaginative consumption as the complainant had no gadgets to use such a amount of electricity. It was next pleaded that complainant asked the opposite party to withdraw the bill dated 9.9.2015 amounting to Rs.57,890/- as the same was illegal but the opposite party refused to do so, hence this complaint.
3. Notice of the complaint was served upon the opposite parties who appeared through their counsel and filed the written reply stating therein that the bill mentioned by the complainant is a consumption of electricity recorded in the electric meter of the complainant. It was stated that on December, 2014, the meter reading of the complainant was recorded 6066 units and the bill was issued to the complainant Rs.42,566/- + ED Rs.11,836/- and out of this bill complainant had deposited the amount mentioned in the complaint in the office of the opposite parties and the balance amount plus further reading of the electric meter of the consumption of units were to be paid by the complainant and there was no illegality and falsity in the bill of the complainant. All other averments made in the complaint have been denied and lastly prayed for dismissal of the complaint with heavy costs.

4.       Complainant had tendered into evidence her own affidavit Ex.C1 along with documents Ex.C2 to Ex.C4 including copy of bill mark ‘A’ and closed her evidence. 

5.       Sh.Baljit Singh Gosal S.D.O. had tendered into evidence his own affidavit Ex.OP-1 and copy of consumption data Ex.OP-2 and closed the evidence on behalf of opposite parties.

6.        We have carefully gone through the pleadings of the parties, arguments advanced by the parties and have appreciated the evidence produced on record by both the parties with the valuable assistance of both the counsel for the parties.

7.       From the pleadings and evidence on record it is clear that the complainant is the holder of one electric connection bearing account No.G-47-PT-332111P and as such is a consumer of the opposite parties. The complainant has mainly challenged the bill dated 9.9.2015 amounting to Rs.57890/- being wrong and excessive. On the other hand opposite parties have submitted that the amount in the bill pertains to the actual consumption charges only and the same is legal and valid.

8. From the entire above discussion we are of this view that the amount claimed in the impugned bill is the actual consumption charges. We find that on December 2014 the meter reading of the complainant was recorded 6066 units and the bill was issued to the complainant for Rs.42566/- + ED Rs.11836/- and out of this bill the complainant has only deposited Rs.19000/- in the office of the opposite parties. The balance amount plus charges for further reading of electric meter are to be paid by the complainant. The amount claimed is the actual consumption charges. We do not find any illegality and falsity in the impugned bill. There is no merit in the present complaint as such the same is hereby dismissed.
9. Copy of the order be communicated to the parties free of charges. After compliance, file be consigned to records.

                     (Naveen Puri)

                                                                                           President.                                                                                 

ANNOUNCED:                                                              (Jagdeep Kaur)

JULY 12, 2016                                                                          Member.

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