COMMON CAUSE Vs. D E S U

JUDGEMENT

(1.) - We are happy to record our appreciation of the good response that has come from the Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking to the suggestions made by this Commission for the purpose of setting right the grievance of the consumer voiced before us by Mr. H. D. Shourie on behalf of the Complainant. The statements dated 20. 08. 1989 and 19. 10. 1989 filed before us by the Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking set out in detail the steps taken by it in implementation of the suggestions made by this Commission and we are satisfied that those steps adequately go to redress the grievances that the consumer had on various counts which are set out in the petition before us.

(2.) IN regard to the complaint of delayed billing, the Respondent Undertaking has assured this Commission that steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no avoidable delay, henceforth, in issuing bills to the consumers and that with the adoption of computerisation, it is expected that it will be possible for the Undertaking to serve the bills on consumers regularly on a bimonthly basis.

(3.) WE also find from the statement filed by the DESU that adequate steps, both preventive and punitive, have been taken by them to deal with case of theft of electricity. Another important step taken by the DESU in response to our suggestions is that they have already takan action to constitute committees in every distinct for dealing with the grievances of the consumers. In addition, the DESU has decided to constitute two central advisory committees - one general and the other technical - in both of which there will be two representatives of consumers to be nominated by the Consumer Affairs Directorate of the Delhi Administration. Responding to the suggestion of Mr. H. D. Shourie made during his submissions before us today, counsel for the DESU very fairly agreed that DESU will nominate its Public Relations Officer in the central office as the person to whom complaints/petitions may be addressed and that he will see that the complaints are properly processed and dealt with expeditiously in the concerned Department of the DESU.