SATISH BAKSHI Vs. BIHAR STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS writ petition has been preferred by petitioner for issuance of an appropriate writ in the nature of prohibition prohibiting the respondents Nos. 1 to 4 from levying any charges and raising any bill towards electricity charges after disconnection of electric supply on 29th of May, 2000 in relation to consumer No. P -5150 of which the actual consumer is the Post and Telegraph Dispensary, (P and T Dispensary for short), a tenant in a portion of petitioners house.

(2.) THE case of the petitioner is that the electrical connection bearing consumer No. P -5150 is standing in the name of his father who died about 20 years back in the year 1978. The house is in occupation of P&T Dispensary of Government of India since 31st of March, 1995. Inspite of repeated requests, the name of the consumer has not been changed in the name of P&T Dispensary, though, the bill amount used to be paid by the Chief Medical Officer, P&T Dispensary since April, 1995.

(3.) THE further case of respondent No. 5 is that the working hours of P&T Dispensary, Ranchi is from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. i.e. for 6 hours dally, except Sunday and Holiday, for this small working period, electricity charges like Rs. 276 per month for 200 unit is not justified. In that view of the matter, the Assistant Engineer, Electricity Board, Kokar, Ranchi was requested on 23.3.1999 to make an assessment for installation of a separate meter in the rented portion of P&T Dispensary. It is alleged that the Board instead of taking steps for installation of a separate meter, in a most arbitrary manner hiked the units on fixed basis from 200 to 720 units per month wrongly showing the load of 5 K.W. sifted of 1 K.W., without changing the name of erstwhile occupier.