PSPCL fined for harassing consumer

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 30

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to refund Rs 6,000 deposited by a local resident, along with paying him Rs 3,000 as compensation and Rs 2,000 as litigation expenses.

The complainant, Deepinder Singh, had filed a complaint against the power body, stating that he had been making regular payment of the electricity connection installed at his residence. On December 25 last year, he received an SMS from PSPCL that read, “Disconnection order has been issued against your CA 003001474832 due to unpaid bill due on December 2, 2016. Please pay Rs 5,734, including re-connection charges, immediately. Please ignore if already paid.”

The complainant alleged that no electric bill with due date December 2, 2016 was ever served by the opposite party. He checked PSPCL website immediately and found that no amount was outstanding. The website clearly showed that latest bill was not uploaded, he said. Fearing that the corporation may disconnect his power connection, he paid Rs 6,000 online at night.

PSPCL, meanwhile, maintained that the bill was duly received by the complainant. It was a routine SMS the complainant had received, PSPCL said, denying that the complainant immediately checked the website and found out that no amount was outstanding against the consumer account. The power corporation’s reply also reads that there was no such emergency for the complainant to pay the electricity bill in the late night hours through online payment.

However, the forum observed that a copy of the bill suggested that its issue date was December 25, so how the complainant could receive the bill before the issue date.

The forum stated that the complainant was compelled to make payment and that too at 10:30 pm which caused mental harassment as well as inconvenience to him.