Not replacing power meter timely costs PSPCL dear
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 25
The delay on the part of the PSPCL to replace a burnt electricity meter has cost it dear. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the PSPCL to set aside an electricity bill worth Rs 30,890 for a vacant house while also paying the owner, a senior citizen, a compensation of Rs 25,000.
In his complaint, Makhdoompura resident Gopal Krishan (65), who owns a property at Satnam Nagar, Basti Danishmanda, said he had an electricity connection there in his name and had given it on rent in December 2016. He said the tenant vacated it and no one else was residing there till date.
In March 2017, the complainant said he received a phone call from a person residing near the property, informing him that the electricity meter of his house was burning.
“Three-four other electricity meters of the locality were also burning due to the high voltage. I immediately reached the spot and found that the electricity meter was totally burnt. I reported the matter to the SDO, Model Town, and requested him to install the new meter on the expenses of the PSPCL as it happened due to their negligence. However, the PSPCL refused to change the meter free of cost and compelled me to deposit Rs 510 as new electricity meter charges,” Krishan said.
He said: “When I could not find any other solution, I deposited Rs 510 on March 23, 2017, along with an application for installation of a new meter for which a payment receipt was also issued to me by the office.”
He said he was assured that a new meter would be installed soon.
In April 2017, the complainant received an electricity bill on an average basis after which he again visited the office of the PSPCL for its correction but officials refused to correct the bill as the meter had not been installed.
The complainant was again compelled to deposit a heavy amount of an incorrect bill. Upon multiple visits of the complainant, the PSPCL installed the meter in September 2017, after a delay of seven months.
But his saga did not end there. In October 2017, the PSPCL sent an electricity bill of Rs 30,890 to the complainant after which he requested to correct the bill as for the past 10 months his property was lying locked and nobody was residing there, but the staff refused to correct the bill and again started compelling him to deposit the whole bill and also threatened him of disconnection if he would not pay the bill. He sought setting aside of the bill of Rs 30,890, while also seeking a compensation.
The PSPCL alleged that the complainant had tampered with the body of the meter due to which it got burnt. They maintained that the bill was correct and the complainant was deliberately delaying the payment. The forum, led by president Karnail Singh and member Harvimal Dogra, however, said: “From the overall circumstances, we are of the opinion that there is a deficiency in the service on the PSPCL’s part. The disputed bill amounting to Rs 30,890 is hereby set aside and an amount of its 50 per cent, deposited by the complainant, is ordered to be adjusted in future consumption charges of the electricity. However, the PSPCL can levy consumption charges from the complainant from September 27, 2017, onwards. A Rs 25,000 compensation has also been ordered to be paid.”
What the forum said
The consumer forum said: “From the overall circumstances, we are of the opinion that there is a deficiency in the service on the PSPCL’s part. The disputed bill amounting to Rs 30,890 is hereby set aside and an amount of its 50 per cent, deposited by the complainant, is ordered to be adjusted in future consumption charges. However, the PSPCL can levy consumption charges from the complainant from September 27, 2017 onwards. A Rs 25,000 compensation has also been ordered to be paid.”
