ORDER BY HON’BLE PRESIDENT- MR. P.K. PADHI:
JUDGMENT
Complainant has filed this consumer complaint U/s.35 of C.P. Act, 2019 seeking following reliefs;
“Direct the opposite parties to wave off entire bill amount of Rs.15,399/- preceding installation of meter , pay Rs.20,000/- towards compensation for mental agony, Rs.10,000/- towards cost of litigation”.
The brief fact of the case is that, in the year 2018 complainant applied for a new meter under Saubhagya Scheme. In December 2018 a board without meter and without wire connection was installed. On 04.02.2021 a new meter was installed by TPCODL under the consumer ID 504505103437 in the name of complainant. On 08.02.2021 cog a bill for month of February which was Rs.15,399/-. On 12.02.2021 complainant went to SDO, Tirtol with a written application but SDO thereof denied to receive application without lineman report about day of connection though complainant had receipt showing date of installation of meter and also moved to JE, Erasama and requested for a lineman report and as a consequence complainant got a lineman report on the same date. With lineman report being forwarded by JE, Erasama complainant submitted application to SDO, Tirtol on 17.02.2021 and was expecting end of suffering but till date the problem of complainant is not solved by the opposite parties.
Opposite parties give their written version stating as under;
The complainant got power supply under Govt. scheme as Soubhagya Yojana. Under this scheme all the materials were supplied by the Government through an outside agency. All the formalities regarding new service connection furnished by the area panchayat offices and final list send to division office to create consumer numbers. In the month of January, 2021 a departmental meter was installed at the complainant’s premises after getting information about the non meter consumer and wait for six consecutive monthly meter reading for average bill revision.
So it is not at all disputed that new meter was installed on 04.02.2021 and complainant got the bill on 08.02.2021 amounting Rs.15,399/- and how it is calculated is not cleared as the opposite parties are long absent.
We are astonished to see as to how the bill of Rs.15,399/- has been claimed only after 03 days of installation of meter. We therefore quash the said notice demanding Rs.15,399/- and direct the opposite parties to claim the bill on the basis of meter reading after installation of meter and prior to that on the basis of average of 06 months after installation of meter. We also impose of cost of Rs.1,000/- for mental agony and Rs.1,000/- towards cost of litigation as complainant who is coming from Dhankanal District to pursue his case. With the aforesaid observation and direction the consumer complaint is disposed of.
Pronounced in the open Commission on this 9th June,2023.
