DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION: BHADRAK : (ODISHA).
Consumer Complaint No.23 of 2022.
Date of hearing : 03.06.2024.
Date of order : 24.06.2024.
Dated the 24th day of June 2024.
Prafulla Kumar Rout, S/o:- Biswanath Rout,
At:-Jagannathpur, Po/P.S:- Basudevpur, Dist:- Bhadrak,
. . . . . Complainant.
Vrs.
- The Executive Engineer, Electrical, TPNODL,
At/Po/P.S:- Bhadrak (T), Dist:- Bhadrak, Pin-756100.
2. The S.D.O. Electrical, TPNODL, Basudevpur,
At/Po/PS:- Basudevpur, Dist:- Bhadrak.
3. The Junior Engineer, Electrical, Basudevpur of
Jagannathpur Circle Sec-II (Domestic),
At/Po/PS:- Basudevpur, Dist:- Bhadrak . . . Opp. Parties.
P R E S E N T S.
1. Sri Shiba Prasad Mohanty, President,
2. Smt. Madhusmita Swain, Member.
Counsels appeared for the parties.
Counsel for the Complainant:- Sri J.B. Agasti, Advocate& Associates,
Counsel for the Opp. Parties:- Sri D.N. Naik, Deputy Manager (Legal).
J U D G M E N T.
SRI SHIBA PRASAD MOHANTY, PRESIDENT.
In the matter of an application filed by the complainant alleging deficiency of service against the Opposite Parties under Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
A fact of the case is that, the complainant is a bonafide consumer of Jagannathpur Panchayat & his electric consumer No.421314011056. The complainant was paying electric bill regularly & sincerely as per consumption. The complainant states that without any basis the O.Ps have imposed bill of Rs.1,11,032/- against the complainant which is illegal & arbitrary to the law. The complainant has also paid money of Rs.310/- as per bill. On 20.03.2022 a disconnection notice has been served to the complainant where it has been mentioned on the said bill the O.P.No.3 along with their agents have threatened on dtd.06.04.2022 to disconnect the electric line from the house of complainant & again the complainant states that the O.P.3 whimsically provide bill to him of Rs.1,11,032/- which is illegal & arbitrary. The complainant is ready & willing to pay the revised bill. The cause of action for the case arose on dtd.20.03.2022 when the illegal & excessive bill provided to complainant & further cause of action arose on dtd.06.04.2022 when the O.P.3 & their agents have attempted to disconnect the electric line from the house of the complainant. As such the complainant has compelled to filed this case before this commission and prayed to direct the O.Ps to revised the said illegal imposed money of Rs.1,11,032/- which is pending in the name of the complainant. The complainant has filed the documents i.e. 1) Xerox copy of electric bill dtd.20.03.2022 & etc.
The O.Ps submit that, the power supply has been given to the consumer since 24.08.2022. From the date power supply the consumer is not paying the electricity dues regularly. After installation of a new meter bearing Serial No.-LN461782 in the premises of the consumer in the month of February 2020 and after taking 6 months meter reading the loan factor bill of the consumer has been revised and an amount of Rs.4,34,634/- has been withdrawn from the bill of the consumer in July 2020. The same has also been reflected in the electricity bill of the consumer in the month of August 2020. After revision of the bill the consumer the consumer has to pay Rs.117630.80 paisa as August 2020. In every energy bill the disconnection notice has been auto generated. The allegation of threatening given by the O.P.3 along with their agent is not correct. The complainant has not mentioned the date on which the O.P.3 threatened him to disconnect the power supply. The complainant has suppressed the fact that, the arrear upon the consumer was Rs.550435.80 Paisa upto January 2020. In February 2020 a new meter bearing Serial No.- LN461782 has been installed in the premises of the consumer & after six months of installation of the new meter the bill of the consumer has been revised for the period August 2010 to January 2020 & Rs.4,34,634/- has been withdrawn from the bill of the consumer in July 2020. In the August month’s bill it has been reflected. Therefore the bill is neither illegal nor arbitrary. After revision of bill the consumer has paid Rs.10200/- in the month of October 2021. The bill amounting to Rs.1,11,032/- was served upon the consumer in the month of March 2022.The complainant was clarified in the Revision Camp that his arrear bill has already been revised & he has to pay Rs.1,11,032/- which is arrear as on February 2022. No cause of action arose as the complainant has averred false allegation against the O.Ps & has kept the date of cause of action blank. The O.Ps have filed the documents i.e. 1) Revision statement of the complainant (Annex-A) & 2) Billing statement of the complainant (Annex-B).
Having heard the rival contentions and materials available in the case record, it is evident that the energy bill of the complainant has been revised taking into account of last six months of meter reading and after following the revision procedure an amount of Rs.4,34,634/- has been withdrawn from the bill of the consumer in July 2020. The final bill thus arrived after revision in the Revision Camp is Rs.1,11,032/- upto February 2022. As the prayer of the complainant to revise has already been done by the O.Ps, no further revision can be done. The complainant has to pay the amount. But as the amount seems to be large amount, the complainant pleads to pay the same in installment in the course of hearing.
O R D E R.
In the result, the O.Ps are directed to realize the arrear amount of Rs.1,11,032/- in 6 nos. of equated installments from the complainant. Needless to say the complainant shall pay the regular bills as per his consumptions.
This order is pronounced in the Open Court on this the 24th day of June 2024 under my hand and seal of the Commission.
