WBSEB Vs. BHUPESH CHATTERJEE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is an appeal arising out of the judgment passed by the District Forum, Birbhum, dated 16.12.1999. The case of the complainant in brief is stated below.

(2.) The complainant is an industrial consumer. He has a coal briquette factory and that factory is running by electric energy. As his business was running in loss, the electric line was disconnected illegally by the O. Ps. on 1.4.1997 without serving any notice under Sec.24 of the Indian Electricity Act. The complainant prayed for reconnection and installation of a new meter. Accordingly reconnection was made on 20.3.1998. Thereafter, the complainant received three bills for the months of August, September and October, 1998 wherein O. Ps. claimed Rs.2,405.19, Rs.279.27/- and Rs.426.51 respectively. That in the bill for August, 1998 an amount of Rs.1,863.67 had been shown as adjustment amount A. M. G. R. (Annual Minimum Guaranteed Revenue) which was illegal because the factory remained closed from 1.4.1997 to 28.3.1998. So there was no consumption of electrical energy. Therefore, the petitioner has been charged with a much more amount than the actual consumption of electricity. Under such circumstances he filed the case in the District Forum praying for direction to the O. Ps. not to disconnect the service line, to revise the bill on the basis of average units of consumption, for installation of new meter for accurate reading, and for granting of instalments to pay the revised bills and compensation of Rs.1,000/-.

(3.) In its judgment the Forum quashed August, 1998 bill for Rs.2,405.19 and directed the O. Ps. to raise fresh bill for that period as per consumption noted in the meter card.