Nawal Kishore Singh v. South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited And ORS
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No. 1882 of 2016 ====================================================== Nawal Kishore Singh Son of Late Kunj Bihari Singh resident of J/F1 Block4, Flat No. 42, Road No. 10, Rajendra Nagar, Patna, P.S. Kadam Kuan, District- Patna .... .... Petitioner
Versus
1. South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited through its Managing Director, Vidyut Bhawan, Baily Road, Patna
2. Managing Director, South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, Vidyut Bhawan, Baily Road, Patna
3. The Chief Electrical Engineer, Electric Supply Division, Patna
4. The Electrical Executive Engineer, Electric Supply Division, Rajendra Nagar, Patna
5. The Assistant Electric Engineer (Revenue), Rajendra Nagar, Division PESU, Patna.
.... .... Respondents ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Nand Kishore Prasad Sinha For the Respondent/s : Mr. Anand Kumar Ojha ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAKESH KUMAR ORAL ORDER 2.
09-02-2016 Heard Sri Nand Kishore Prasad Sinha, learned counsel for the petitioner and Sri Anand Kumar Ojha, learned counsel, who has appeared on behalf of respondent/South Bihar Power Distribution Co.Ltd.
The present writ petition was listed under the heading "For Orders On Petition" i.e. I.A. No. 1030 of 2016, wherein a prayer has been made for directing the respondents not to take any coercive step during the pendency of the writ petition. However, with the consent of both the parties, the writ petition is being disposed of at this stage itself.
Patna High Court CWJC No.1882 of 2016 (2) dt.09-02-2016 2/3 In the writ petition, virtually dispute has been raised in respect of energy bill.
Sri Sinha, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that even by way of coercion, the petitioner was constrained to deposit huge amount and only thereafter, electric supply, which was earlier disconnected, has been restored and he has been asked to deposit the bill amount in installment. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that 50% of the bill amount has already been deposited. However, Sri Ojha, learned counsel for the respondents submits that for such dispute under the Electricity Act, a statutory forum has been created, which is known as „Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum‟.
In view of the facts and circumstances as well as dispute, which has been raised in the present writ petition, the writ petition is being disposed of granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the Forum by way of filing appropriate petition raising all the grievances, which has been raised in the present petition. If such application is filed within a period of four weeks from today, the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum shall examine the application of the petitioner in accordance with law and decide it within a period of eight weeks thereafter.
Till the matter is finally decided by the Forum,
Patna High Court CWJC No.1882 of 2016 (2) dt.09-02-2016 3/3 no coercive step shall be taken against the petitioner. However, it is made clear that the petitioner will be paying current electricity bill regularly.
The writ petition stands disposed of.
(Rakesh Kumar, J.) Anay U