Notice to Chandigarh, power firm over non-refund of excess meter rental

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has issued a show-cause notice to both the UT Electricity Department and Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL) for the non-refund of wrongly charged meter rental for 16 months.

The commission has told them to file a reply within two weeks. “In case, you fail to file the reply within time, it shall be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter and suo motu proceedings will be initiated against you in the absence of such replies,” read the notice.

Members of the Indian Citizens Forum (ICF) have been continuous efforts to get the refund meter rental wrongly charged from the consumers of all categories for 16 months by the Chandigarh Electricity Department (CED), which has now been handed over to the CPDL. The JERC stated that the order passed by the Consumers Grievances Redressal Forum (CGRF), Chandigarh, against a complaint was upheld by the Ombudsman on April 16. An appeal was made that both the CED and the CPDL should make efforts to refund the meter-rental charged from consumers along with interest base rate as on April 1 of the prevailing year, payable annually.

Meanwhile, Indian Citizens Forum president SK Nayar and secretary Narinder Sharma met Arun Kumar Verma, Director, CPDL, and MP Singh, general manager. Verma assured them that the refund would be released through bills immediately after the company got the list of consumers from the CED.