HARYANA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD Vs. LAXMAN SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ACCORDING to the Revision Petitioner, the Respondent-Complainant had colluded with a Junior Engineer of the Board Shri B.S. Dhanda and obtained a power connection illegally in June, 1991. According to the Order of the State Commission the Junior Engineer received a consideration of Rs. 2,000/- for providing power connection and no receipt thereof was given to the Respondent-Complainant. No meter was installed on the ground that power meters were in short supply. In the meantime power was supplied to the Respondent-Complainant on the basis of Rs. 100/- per month representing "average consumption,,. Subsequently the SDO visited the site in July, 1991 and demanded Rs. 5,000/-and on the refusal of the Respondent-Complainant to pay the same, the electric connection was disconnected. The Respondent-Complainant sought relief before the Consumer Forum. The District Forum directed the restoration of electric power connection to the Respondent-Complainant but granted no compensation to the Respondent-Complainant. The State Commission in appeal upheld the Order of the District Forum holding that the power connection had been "duly released by the Junior Engineer on the payment of Installation charges".

(2.) AFTER going through the record and hearing the parties we are of the view that the Orders of the lower forums require to be reconsidered.