SUREKA MODERN RICE MILL PRIVATE LIMITED Vs. WEST BENGAL STATE ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMTED

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, a rice mill, is a consumer under the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL). Although the petitioner has paid all electricity bills on a regular basis, on March 5, 2018, the WBSEDCL intimated the petitioner that the bills for the month of November, 2017, December, 2017 and January, 2018 were wrongly generated due to alleged defective Potential Transformer (PT) circuit developed on and from November 3, 2017, resulting in partial demand as per consumption in the meter during the said period. The WBSEDCL demanded that the dues outstanding for the said period of three months amounted to Rs.17, 03, 072.00.

(2.) The petitioner rebutted such claim by a reply dated March 9, 2018. However, subsequent disconnection notices were sent to the petitioner on the ground of non-payment of such alleged outstanding dues. This prompted the petitioner to prefer the instant challenge against the alleged rectified outstanding bill.

(3.) The petitioner disputes the allegation that the meter in question was defective at any point of time. It is argued that in the event the circuit/meter was defective, there was no justification for the WBSEDCL to chargeoutstanding amounts for the period from November 2017 to January 2017 but omitting the months of February 2018 and March 2018 while raising the revised bill, although the defective meter was alleged to be replaced only in April, 2010.