Issuing average power bills for long administrative negligence, rules Haryana panel

Chandigarh, Jan 14 The Haryana Right to Service (RTS) Commission has termed the practice of issuing electricity bills on an average basis for a long period and subsequently serving consumers with one-time excessively high bills in cases related to Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) as a serious case of administrative negligence.

Citing a case, the commission spokesperson said they found the consumer either did not receive bills for a long time or was issued negative bills, which were not payable. Thereafter, an electricity bill of approximately Rs 2.38 lakh was issued.

Even after the complaint was lodged, the rectification was carried out in a phased and incomplete manner, exposing the irresponsible working of the officials concerned, it said.

The commission also observed that the mandatory prior notice and minimum time limits prescribed under the Electricity Supply Code were not followed.

Exercising its penal powers under Section 17 (1) (h) of the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, the commission ordered the imposition of a Rs 5,000 fine on two officials responsible for preparing incorrect sundry entries and directed each of them to pay Rs 1,000 as compensation to the consumer.

Also, the commission expressed dissatisfaction with those officials who approved the incorrect sundry and directed that their names be recorded in the commission's records.

The commission ordered that the consumer be paid additional compensation at the rate of Rs 500 for each billing cycle wrongly issued since July 2022. This amount shall initially be paid by the corporation from its own funds and may later be recovered from the erring agency or officials.

In another case from Hisar district, electricity bills were issued on an average basis in two power accounts of a consumer from March 2020 to February 2024.

Earlier, bills used to reflect a bi-monthly consumption of around 160 units, but later, one account showed consumption of approximately 45,000 units, resulting in a bill of more than Rs 3 lakh, while the second account reflected consumption of about 20,000 units, leading to a bill of Rs 98,000.

The commission termed this as imposing an excessive financial burden on the consumer and causing severe mental harassment.

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