Pranay Jana v. W.B.State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. And ORS

AD. 22.

November 11, 2021.

MNS.

(Through Video Conference) WPA No. 17074 of 2021 Pranay Jana Vs.

The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited and others Mr. Partha Ghosh, Mr. Amal Kumar Datta ... for the petitioner.

Mr. Sujit Shankar Koley ...for the WBSEDCL.

Affidavit-of-service filed in Court today be kept on record.

Heard both the parties.

The petitioner's grievance is that an exorbitant electric bill was raised in respect of one of the phases of the petitioner's electric connection by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (in short 'WBSEDCL') on the ground that the proper voltage of the said phase was not being counted on the installed meter.

Subsequently, upon installation of a parallel meter, the WBSEDCL also prepared a note sheet, which is annexed at page - 29 of the writ petition, indicating the dues in consumption units.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the proper assessment regarding the charges payable by the petitioner in respect of the faulty phase may be

intimated to the petitioner at the earliest to expedite the matter.

Learned counsel appearing for the respondentauthorities, in his usual fairness, agrees on principle to such fact and points out that the petitioner has already approached the respondent no. 3, being the Regional Grievance Redressal Officer, Purba Medinipur, for redressal of the same complaint.

As such, it would be premature for this Court to interfere on merits of the matter at this juncture. However, WPA No. 17074 of 2021 is disposed of by directing the respondent no. 3 to dispose of the grievance raised by the petitioner, upon looking into all relevant documents and giving appropriate opportunity of hearing to the petitioner as well as the licensee, positively within three weeks from this date, and to arrive at a conclusion as regards the appropriate assessment regarding the concerned electric connection.

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.)