ROYAL LAND CLUB Vs. SECRETARY, KSEB & ANR.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This revision is directed against the order of the State Commission Kerala dated 21.02.2013 whereby the State Commission allowed the appeal preferred by the respondent opposite party, set aside the order of the District Forum and dismissed the complaint with the observation that complainant may remit the amount of supplementary bill in 12 instalments without interest.

(2.) Complainant is duly registered Arts Club. Undisputedly, the complainant was provided electricity connection with consumer no.13070 by the opposite party. The complainant being Arts Club was charged for electricity consumption as per LT VII C tariff. In the year 2008, the complainant got his electricity connection converted into a three phase connection and also got the connected load enhanced to 6208 watts. It is the case of the complainant that he had been paying the electricity bills regularly. However, on 15.10.2008, the opposite party issued a supplementary electricity bill to the tune of Rs.1,27,737/- supposedly towards the short assessment of consumption of electricity in the earlier period. According to the petitioner, the aforesaid bill raised by the opposite party is without any justification and it was even issued without any notice to the complainant, which amounts to deficiency in service.

(3.) The opposite party in its written statement took the position that actually the petitioner got the connected load of the club enhanced to 6208 watt and also got its singe phase connection converted into three phase connection. The change was effected as per the service register on 18.03.2008 and the tariff was noted in the register as LT VII A. Due to communication gap, the billing department kept on charging the electricity consumption as per LT VII C tariff. This mistake was detected by the Audit Officer and on the receipt of report from the audit, the opposite party recalculated the bill and issued the subject bill for Rs.1,27,737/- which is the difference of tariff applicable under LT VII A and the actual bill charged under tariff LT VII C.