Sri S.K.Sahoo,President.

          This  is  a  petition filed  by the  complainant Smt.  Anita  Pattanaik U/s. 12  of C.P.Act, 1986. On perusal of the  case record it  appears that the complaint  was filed  before this  Commission on 13.09.2021  i.e  after the  promulgation of the C.P.Act of the  year 2019 from 20.07.2020. So this  case is  treated as  a case U/s. 35  of C.P.Act, 2019.

2.       The  case of the  complainant is that she is  a  resident of   Gandhimarg Angul. She  has  taken  electric  connection  to  her  residential  house  vide Customer ID No. 402502127797  bearing A/C. No. 02127797 .The  complainant  used to pay the  electricity charges regularly on actual  consumption  basis. The  company of the opp.parties  is  not  taking  meter reading  regularly  in  monthly basis. It is  done  according  to the  sweet will  and  whimsical desire  of the opp.parties.   Sometimes  it  is taken less than one month  and  some times  more than one  month, affecting  the  consumer  interest. However, the  complainant  used to  pay the  electricity dues in time  by  availing  rebate. The  complainant has  cleared all her electricity dues on 03.09.2021  by paying  an amount of Rs. 3,951.00 vide receipt No. 18383576 , corresponding  to  transaction ID No. 60689421 .On 12.09.2021 at 10.15 AM  the  complainant received  a  message from the opp.parties  through the registered mobile  of her  husband  bearing  mobile No. 9861175370 .The  bill was  issued   for  A/c. No. 02127797   for  Rs. 4,730.00  due  on  19.09.2021 .Soon after getting  such message  , her husband  was astonished as there  was no arrear  at all when  such bill  received  from the  opp.parties. The meter reading  was  not taken  till 10.15AM  of  12.09.2021. Immediately the  husband of  the  complainant  contacted opp.party No.2   Amit Sethi  through his  mobile  No. 99376386, who replied that  there  must  be  some  arrear  pending. Mr. Sethi  further  intimated the  complainant and  her husband  through  telephone  that he  is   helpless  and the  amount mentioned  in the bill   as  per the  system  of the   opp.parties” company. After about   one  hour the  agent of the opp.parties  served  a  electricity bill for the  month of September, 2021  amounting  Rs. 4,730.00 which shows  arrear  amount  to be Rs. 3,951.00. On 03.09.2021  the  complainant  paid  that  amount   and there  was no arrear. The  complainant immediately  made payment of  Rs. 707.00 vide receipt  No. 18596998 with  transaction ID No. 62038571,The electricity  bill for the  month of September, 2021 for Rs. 4730.00  is  quite  misleading  and  false one. Taking  advantage  of the  preoccupations and  other engagements of the  consumers as well  their  forgetfulness   in  future the opp.parties   will be   successful  in their  evil  endeavors  in  collecting  such illegal  dues, exploiting  the  innocent  consumers  like  the  present  complainant. The  complaint  and her husband    recovered from Covid-19  infection ,suffering from high BP, blood  sugar, and high cholesterol . On receipt   of the   illegal and  wrong  message  sent  by the opp.parties,  it  created  panic  in their mind. There is   clear deficiency  in service and adoption of unfair  trade practice by the opp.parties. Even after  payment of the bill the opp.parties are not  rectifying the bills. The complainant and  his family members were  subjected to harassment and mental agony by  conduct of the opp.parties. Hence this  case   for  compensation and other reliefs.

3.       Opp.party No.2  filed  his  written statement  on 30.09.2021  and   copy of the same  has been  served  on the  complainant. The  case of the opp.aprtyNo.2 is that  the  complainant is  a consumer  under opp.parties since August, 2015. TPCODL  has  taken   over CESU and the  billing  system  has been changed  from  FOXPRO  to SAP  mode. The consumer- complainant  has  deposited  an amount of Rs.3,951.00  on 03.09.2021  vide receipt No. 18383576  but  unfortunately   due  to  conversion  of  billing  operation  the  said  amount  was not   considered  in  the next bill. After receipt  of the  complaint  from the  complainant, the said  amount  paid  by   the complainant has  been reflected  in the   monthly bills of October,2021 .The opp.parties  has  already  requested the  complainant  to clear   the  outstanding  amount of September,2021   after  deducting  Rs.3951.00  and  accordingly  the  complainant has  made  the payment of Rs. 770.00 . All other  allegations   made  by the  complainant  are  false and baseless. There is  no   deficiency in service    for  which  the  opp.parties  are not  liable  to pay compensation. The  grievance of the  complainant has  been complied with , hence the  complaint  be  dismissed.

4.       Neither the   complainant nor   opp.party No.2   led evidence. The opp.party No.1  neither  appeared nor  contested the  case. The opp.party No.2  only filed the  show cause  and  did not  participate  in the  hearing  of the  case.

5.       The  complaint  petition filed by the  complainant  is  supported with affidavit. On the  other hand  the  written statement  filed by the opp.party No.2  is  neither  verified  nor  supported with  affidavit. The  complainant has  filed the  photo copy of the bill issued by  the  establishment  of the opp.parties on 25.08.2021  for  the  month of August, 2021. On  perusal of the said  document  it  transpires that  an amount of Rs. 3951.0  was  demanded by  the  establishment  of the opp.parties  for the  month of August, 2021 and the  complainant has  paid the  said  amount  on 03.09.2021 and  received  a  valid  receipt from the opp.parties. The  complainant  also  filed the  photo copy of  the bill issued  in her  favour  by the establishment of the  opp.parties for the  month  of  September, 2021  and the   money  receipt  dtd. 12.09.2021. On  perusal  of the  bill issued by the   establishment  of the opp.parties  it  appears that the   payment  was for  Rs. 4730.00. It   appears that there  was  arrear of  Rs. 3951.00  for the month of  August,2021,although   the  complainant   has  paid Rs.3951.00  on  03.09.2021  .The s aid  amount  has  been reflected  in the  bill  issued in  favour  of the   complainant   for  the  month  of  September,2021 . It is alleged  in the  complaint petition that  soon after receipt of the   message on 12.09.2021 the  complaint  and her husband   contacted opp.party No.2  through  the  registered  mobile of the  complainant   but the opp.party No.2  showed  his  inability for  correction of the  wrong  bill reflected in the message received  by the  complainant  on 12.09.2021 through  mobile   of her husband. The  complainant has also filed  a  daily  news paper “SAMAJ” dtd.30.09.2021  which   shows that “ Grahak Seva Kendra was opened   in the office  premises of the opp.parties by the  Hon’ble Deputy Speaker Sri Rajanikanta Singh”. In the  said meeting it  was also   alleged  that the  establishment of the opp.parties is  not  correcting   the bills of the   consumers ,  even after  payment of the  outstanding dues. Consumers  dissatisfaction  has been reflected in the  news  item published in the said daily  news paper “The Samaj”.

          The  allegations  made in the   complaint petition  are  supported with  affidavit of the  complainant, for  which there is  no reason   to  disbelieve  such  materials  available  in the  complaint  petition. On the  other hand the opp.parties  did not led  any evidence  to  contradict such allegations made  by the  complainant.

6.       The  Consumer  Protection Act, 2019  is made  for  the benefit  of the consumer. The reply made by the opp.party No.2  to the  complainant  and  her  husband  through  telephone  shows  there is   a clear  deficiency  in service by the opp.parties. The  reflection  of   an amount   of Rs. 3951.00  as arrear  in the  bill for the  month of  September,2021  is also  clear  deficiency   in service  by the opp.party No.2. Most  of the   people of the  State of Odisha  are illiterate. Especially Angul district is  consists of villages. The people  of Angul District  are  not  conscious  about  the  C.P.Act  , for  which they can be  easily defrauded by  various  companies  such as TPCODL. They  cannot  also  fight   with the organisation of the opp.parties  for  their  legitimate  rights.  

7.       Hence order :-

: O R D E R :

          The  case be  and the  same  is  allowed  in parte, exparte  against  opp.party No.1  and  on contest against opp.party No.2.  Both the opp.parties are jointly  severally  liable in this  case  for  deficiency in service given to the  complainant. They are directed to pay an amount of Rs.30,000.00 (Rupees Thirty Thousand)only as compensation and  Rs.5000.00 (Rupees Five Thousand) only  towards  litigation expenses  to the  complainant within  a period of  one month from the  date of  receipt of  this order, failing  which  they are  liable  to pay the said amount  along with  interest @ 9% per annum   from the  date of receipt   of this order to  till payment is made.