West Bengal

Bankura

CC/90/2023

Sri Prasanta Roy - Complainant(s)

Versus

The Station Manager, WBSEDCL, Raipur Customer Care Centre - Opp.Party(s)

Ananda Gopal Sinha

03 Jul 2024

ORDER

IN    THE   DISTRICT   CONSUMER   DISPUTES   REDRESSAL COMMISSION, BANKURA

  Consumer Complaint No.90/2023

Date of Filing:  22/09/2023

Present

1.Samiran Dutta                                                                                                                        Ld. President

2. Siddhartha Sankar Bhui                                                                                                        Ld. Member

 

For the Complainant: Ld. Advocate Ananda Gopal Sinha

For the O.P:  Ld. Advocate Jayanta Chowdhury

 

Complainant:

Sri Prasanta Roy, S/O-Kshirod Prasad Roy,R/O, Vill-Bandarboni, P.O-Muramouli,P.S-Raipur,Dist-Bankura,.Mob-9933170689

Opposite Party:

The Station Manager, WBSEDCL, Raipur Customer Care Centre, Garh Raipur,Dist-Bankura,                                                                          

FINAL ORDER / JUDGEMENT

Order No.11

Dated:03-07-2024

Both parties file hazira through advocate.

The case is fixed for argument.

After hearing argument from both sides the Commission proceeds to dispose of the case as hereunder:-

The Complainant’s case is that he is a domestic consumer under the O.P. being Consumer I/D No.2330011466 but the meter became inoperative in the month of February, 2014 and without installing the new meter as applied for the O.P. continued to send electric bills from time to time and the Complainant requested the O.P. by letter dated: 22/08/2017 & 08/11/2019 for disconnection of electric supply to his house. In the mean time the Complainant constructed a new residential building in the Year-2022 after dismantling old house and applied before the O.P. for installation of a new service connection by rectifying the old due bills and after consideration of such prayer the O.P. asked the Complainant to deposit Rs.5,000/- as arrear bill and on payment of the said amount on 23/09/2022 a new service connection has been given to the Complainant on 15/10/2022 but surprisingly the Complainant received an inflated bill of Rs.21,609/- on 24/04/2023. The Complainant took up the issue with the O.P. for adjustment of outstanding dues and for accepting the current bill amount with regard to the new service connection. The O.P. having failed to do so the Complainant has lodged the instant case for appropriate relief.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Contd…..p/2

Page: 2

The O.P. contested the case by filing a written version contending inter alia that due to non-payment of electric bills out of the old meter No. being R0092576 the O.P. effected deemed disconnection of the same with effect from 29/01/2021 and after reconnection upon installation of the new meter No. being BE0235152 on 18/10/2022 the O.P. raised the disputed bill according to existing Electricity Rules & Regulations and unless the outstanding amount is paid they are unable to entertain the new bill amount and accordingly the O.P. has prayed for dismissal of the case.

-: Decision with reasons:-

Having regard to the facts of the case, contention, submission and documents on both sides   the Commission finds that admittedly the old meter was replaced by a new meter and for this intervening period an outstanding electric bill of Rs.21,609/- has been raised and according to the O.P. the said outstanding amount is Rs.24,547/- but there is no supporting document of such outstanding bill either from the side of the Complainant or from the side of the O.P. Be that as it may, taking into consideration the ad-hoc payment of Rs.5,000/- made by the Complainant earlier for resolution of the outstanding amount the Commission considers it just and proper to direct the Complainant for further payment of Rs.5,000/- towards adjustment of the outstanding dues if any and on payment of said Rs.5,000/- the O.P. is directed to accept the new current bill amount from the Complainant from time to time.

With this observation the case is disposed of on contest by directing the O.P. to accept the new current electric bill amount from the Complainant from time to time after receipt of Rs.5,000/- from the Complainant as directed above within a fortnight from this date in default the Complainant will be deemed to have no outstanding liability but the O.P. to accept the new current bill amount without any outstanding demand whatsoever.

Both parties be supplied copy of this Order free of cost.

 

____________________                _________________        

HON’BLE   PRESIDENT          HON’BLE MEMBER