1.                     The brief history of the case of the complainant is that he is a domestic consumer of electricity of the Ops vide Con. No.7115021H0014 having taken the connection to his residence under BPL category.  It is submitted that he paid Rs.500/- on 28.2.2013 towards electricity dues to the Ops and thereafter as the bill came for more than Rs.1.00 lac, on the request of the complainant, the power supply was disconnected to the house of the complainant but again in the month of February, 2017 arrear bill of Rs.2, 59,453/- was served.  It is further submitted that he is staying in his house in dark and on approach the J. E., Southco., Kotpad,  he advised to deposit the arrear amount.  Thus alleging fault on the part of the Ops, he filed this case praying justice in this case.

2.                     The Ops filed counter in joint contending that without approaching the Ops the complainant has directly approached the Forum and after getting notice from the Forum they inspected the premises of the complainant and found that the house to which the electricity connection was given is under demolished condition and the service line is hanging with meter hanging in the half demolished wall and hence they could not verify the connected load of the premises.  The meter says that the consumption is abnormally low and the complainant has paid energy charge thrice in between 09/2012 to 03/2017 and the OP took reading as 477 units of consumption as on 13.4.2017 and the consumer is to pay Rs.4, 390/-.  The Ops also challenged the limitation in filing of this case by the complainant.  Thus denying any fault on their part, the Ops prayed to dismiss the case of the complainant.

3.                     Both the parties have filed certain documents.  Heard the matter from A/R for the Ops and perused the materials available on record.

4.                     In this case it is an admitted fact that the complainant vide Consumer No. 7115021H0014 had availed the electricity connection to his house under BPL category in the year, 2012.  The complainant stated that he was regularly paying the dues and lastly he paid Rs.500/- on 28.12.3013.  Thereafter a bill of more than Rs.1.00 lac was issued by the Ops and hence as per request of the complainant the Ops disconnected the power supply to the house during the year, 2014 but again an arrear bill of Rs.2, 59,453/- came when the power supply was disconnected by the Ops.

5.                     The Ops in their counter stated that after getting notice from the Forum, they inspected the house and found the reading as 477 units of consumption from the meter as on 13.4.2017 and hence they revised the bill and demanded Rs.4390/- against the said consumption.  The Ops have filed statement of accounts after revision which is available on record.  The Ops stated that the complainant has demolished his house and service wire is hanging.

6.                     Perused the photograph of service wire which is disconnected from the pole and the house is demolished.  From the above facts, it is very much clear that the Ops have disconnected the power supply from the pole itself.  From the statement of accounts it is seen that from Dec-13 onwards, the Ops have shown 2012 units per month sarcastically to a BPL consumer.  However, they have revised the bill as per reading 477 units shown in the meter.  If the Ops will continue to charge to a BPL consumer in this manner after disconnecting the facilities, definitely the consumer will become mad.  Further the Ops say that it is the fault of the meter reader.  This plea of the Ops is untenable as because the meter reader is their asset and any fault of meter reader is the mistake of the Ops.

7.                     Now the Ops have charged Rs.4390/- against the consumption of 477 units.  The complainant has paid Rs.850/- against the consumption of 477 units.  The BPL consumers have separate slab of consumption and demand.  In our opinion, the Ops should not behave like this to a BPL category consumer.  Due to want of any cogent evidence, the Ops cannot collect the above amount from the complainant.  Therefore, the revised bill so raised is hereby quashed and the complainant is not liable to pay the new demand to the Ops any more.  The present case is decided accordingly.  Parties are to bear their own costs.

(to dict.)