Lakshirani Samanta v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

22.02.2022 TN WPA No.8295 of 2021 Smt. Lakshirani Samanta Vs.

State of West Bengal and others (Via Video Conference) Mr. P.K. Pakrashi .... for the petitioner Mr. Bipin Ghosh .... for the State Mr. Kanak Kiran Bandyopadhyay .... for the WBSEDCL Learned counsel for the Distribution Licensee submits that the Distribution Licensee has, in principle, no objection to restore the electric connection of the petitioner in the event of full payment of the dues to the tune of around Rs.32,543/-.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is a housewife and her household is run on the basis of agriculture. It is extremely difficult for the petitioner and her family, it is submitted, to deposit such a huge amount.

Although the court has full sympathy for the plight of the petitioner, since the law confers merely the right to prefer an appeal even upon deposit of fifty per cent of the dues, the final relief of reconnection available in a perceived appeal cannot be granted at this stage.

However, upon query of court, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that, in view of the hardship being suffered by the petitioner and her family, the petitioner shall somehow collect the due amount and deposit the same within a week from date.

In view of such fair stand having been taken by the parties, WPA No.8295 of 2021 is disposed of by directing the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited to restore electricity connection to the petitioner's meter within a week from the date of compliance of all formalities by the petitioner, particularly, upon the petitioner depositing Rs.32,543/-.

There will be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copies of this order, if applied for, be made available to the parties upon compliance with the requisite formalities.

(Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, J.)