HYDERABAD: The District Consumer Redressal Forum, Nalgonda, has ordered the TSSPDCL to pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 to a rice mill owner along with refunding the excessive amount charged ,Rs 5, 18,250, for negligence on its part in counting the light metre readings installed by the consumer and charging 15 percent more in the regular bills from March 2006 to June 2009.
As per the retail supply tariff, a meter has to be installed in the rice mills to record units consumed only for power.
If the industry fails to install the same, the authority could levy a charge of 15 percent on the cumulative consumption of entire units.
The complainant, Venkateshwara Rice Industries in Kodad Mandal, claimed that he purchased the metre from the TSSPDCL and got it fixed in March 2006 after completing the due procedure by getting it tested at the concern LT-Lab, Nalgonda, adding that it was installed by the power authorities only.
However, the officials in their defense contended that the consumer did not submit the testing report to the billing section, due to which the 15 percent excess amount was charged.
Noting that the rice industry has filed a false and baseless case only for the purpose of monetary benefit, the TSSPDCL argued that the calculation sheet of excessive bills submitted in the complaint is incorrect.
The TSSPDCL also pointed out that it did not exist in 2006, as Telangana was formed in 2014. However, the forum stated it was invalid as there had been no disconnection of earlier electric supply to any customer even then.
Noting that the TSSPDCL did not segregate the light meter from the regular one, the bench, moreover, noted that the department failed to submit any evidence over why it charged the excessive amount.