VIRUDHUNAGAR: Virudhunagar District Consumer Redressal Commission in Srivilliputhur has issued an arrest warrant (bailable) against the Tangedco Superintendent in Tirunelveli for allegedly not complying with the commission's 2022 order to pay a fine of Rs 20.77 lakh over alleged irregularities in providing electricity connection. The Tirunelveli police have also been ordered to produce him before the commission on November 27.
The commission, comprising president S J Chakkkaravarthy and member M Muthulakshmi, issued the execution application under the Consumer Protection Act. A shareholder of Arun Industries in Vellankulam, Tirunelveli, had applied to the official for an electricity connection of 750 kVA, in Tirunelveli in 2012. Since the petitioner already had two existing connections, the superintendent charged them a development amount of Rs 5,25,350 lakh, which was paid in January 2013.
However, the official did not send a response intimating to the petitioner that the permit for the connection was granted. Later in August, the Tangedco official asked the petitioner to pay the electricity bill of `7 lakh for the 750 kVA supplied, and threatened to cancel the agreement if the said amount was not paid. The petitioner paid the amount and also requested the superintendent to reduce the voltage to 550 kVA since he did not need 750 kVA, which the official refused.
The issue was taken to the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. On April 2015, the court ordered the official to reduce the voltage to 550 kVA. However, the petitioner had to pay the bill of Rs 5,69, 481 on the grounds that he had already consumed 750 kVA of power. Claiming irregularity in the service and failure to send an intimation letter, unlike claimed in an RTI, the petitioner approached the commission in Tirunelveli. Refuting the allegations, the respondent stated that the petitioner was intimated about the 750 kVA connection in February through a letter, and also in person by the then-field engineer.
The case was then transferred to the commission in Virudhunagar, and in November 2022, the commission observed that no letters of intimation were sent to the petitioner regarding the February 2013 connection. However, payment for the bill was collected. The commission further observed irregularity in service and directed the superintendent to pay Rs 12,69,481 with 9% interest, Rs 1 lakh for causing mental agony to the petitioner, along with the case charges of Rs 5,000. Since the official had failed to pay the amount to the petitioner as directed by the commission, the panel directed the Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli, to arrest the official and produce him before the commission on November 27.