TRIVENI PRAMANAND Vs. KERALA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner challenges the levy of electricity charges on him as per Ext. P6 proceedings, is being arbtirary and uncalled for.

(2.) THE petitioner is running an industrial unit and for the purpose, she has taken an electricity connection from the respondents, consumer No: ES 4096. According to her she was paying the electricity charges regularly and there was no complaint against her at any time. While so on 24. 7. 1999 the Anti Power theft Squad inspected the petitioner's premises and found that her metre was in order. Subsequently on 11. 4. 2000 there was a further inspection by the same squad. After inspection, they recorded that the existing metering system was showing a negative percentage error of 16. 6%. Based on the above, the meter reading of the previous six months was taken, 16. 6% of the reading was added to it and charges for electricity energy was computed at the rate of rs. 2. 20 per unit. Accordingly an amount of Rs. 21,504. 76 was demanded. The said order is Ext. P1.

(3.) AS per order dated 3. 3. 2001, the Government authority found that the reassessment made as per Ext. P1 was not in order. Therefore the appeal was set aside. According to the Appellate authority, the petitioner was due for re-assessment for the period from 1999 onwards. The Appellate Authority further directed reassessment to be conducted on the basis of the average consumption of the petitioner for the future three months after replacing the faulty meter. On the above basis an amount of rs. 69,033/- has been demanded from the petitioner. The petitioner challenges the above demand, evidenced herein by Ext. P6 has being arbitrary and unsustainable.