POLYLINK POLYMERS (INDIA) LTD Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition has been filed by one Polylink Polymers (India) Ltd., a company registered under the Companies Act. The petitioner company has challenged the supplementary bills issued by the Electricity Company as also the order dated 6.2.97 passed by the Electrical Inspector as upheld by the Appellate order dated 17.4.2002. Facts may be noted in brief.

(2.) The petitioner is a consumer of high tension electricity installed by the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB for short), now succeeded by the Utter Gujarat Vij Company Ltd. Such connection was activated on 7.7.1995. The Gujarat Electricity Board had installed Electronic Trivector Static meter manufactured by L & T Ltd. On 12.7.1996, officers of GEB checked the meter installed at the factory premises of the petitioner Company and found that the meter was running slow by 40.54%. On 16.7.1996, GEB officials once again visited the premises of the petitioner Company and took meter readings. On all three occasions, the meter was found running slow by 32.35, 39.01 and 36.14 respectively. On 1.10.1996, GEB officials installed a new static meter and took the parallel readings of both the meters and found that the original meter was running slow by 40.20%.

(3.) Learned counsel Shri K.B.Pujara for the petitioner vehemently contended that the GEB committed grave error in issuing supplementary bill. He submitted that there was no accurate information with respect to the slowness of the meter and the period during which such meter would have malfunctioned.