PSPCL fined Rs 15,000 for issuing wrong bill

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, September 30

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has quashed the electricity bill of Rs28,233 of a consumer. It has also asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to pay Rs15,000, including litigation expenses, to the complainant for causing “mental and physical harassment”.

Varinder Kumar, a resident of Jalandhar district, had filed an application against the Assistant Executive Engineer, East Commercial, Sub Division No.III, Birring, PSPCL, saying that he had purchased a property from Kultar Kaur, who had an electricity connection — J63ET201294P.

In his application to the forum, Varinder said he had purchased the property along with the electricity connection. The complainant said he was consuming the electricity for a domestic purpose and has been paying the bills on a regular basis.

Varinder said, “On a few occasions, I was fooled by the PSPCL. I was issued a wrong bill due to an error in the SAP system. Every time, I was threatened that I had to pay the bill or else the connection would be terminated. Once, I sent a representation against the bill sent to the officials concerned. The respondents, however, did not take any action and rather issued a bill dated May 5, 2016, of Rs34,150 and disconnected electricity.”

“To restored electricity, I had to pay some amount. After filing complaints, I was told that due to some error in the SAP system, the bill amounting to Rs34,150 was generated and the connection had been temporary disconnected,” the complainant added.

The complainant said for the second time on June 29, 2016, he received a bill of Rs4,040, which showed consumption of 598 units for a period of approximately 60 days. Varinder said when he went to electricity board office to deposit the bill, I was asked to meet the RA of the PSPCL.

“RA Chander Shekhar informed me that due to some error in the SAP system, the payments and earlier bills were not entered in the system. He asked me to meet the SDO concerned in this regard. The SDO told me to pay Rs28,233 along with the present bill of Rs4,040,” he added.

Thereafter, the complainant approached the forum and presented the required facts. He challenged that the bill of Rs28,233 was bogus and he was not liable to pay any amount except for the amount of the present bill — Rs4,040.

The PSPCL, in its reply to the forum, said “as the electricity connection still stands in the name of Kultar Kaur, it has not been transferred by the complainant in his own name. The electricity connection was disconnected for some time as the electricity charges were due”. The PSPCL denied other allegations.

After verifying all facts, the forum, in its judgment, said “the bill issued to the complainant is not as per the consumption of the electricity consumed. Therefore, there is a deficiency in service on the part of the PSPCL and thus, the bill dated May 13, 2016, for an amount of Rs28,233 is hereby set aside and the PSPCL is directed not to recover the amount and is directed to compensate the complainant by paying damages for mental and physical harassment caused to the tune of Rs10,000 and litigation expenses of Rs5,000”.