BSES to pay Rs 10K for raising bills on disconnected meter

The South Delhi District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum held the discom guilty of deficiency in service and said the demand raised by BSES was unfair and rectification was made by it only after the customer had filed a complaint.

"It is clearly made out that the demand raised by the respondent (BSES Rajdhani) was unfair and complainant had no concern with electric meter no 9701165 regarding which notice had been issued.

"Anyhow, the rectification has been made by respondent but only after the institution of the present complaint and, apparently, it is a case of deficiency in service," the bench presided by M P Mehndiratta said.

The forum while disposing of the complaint, directed the discom to pay Rs 10,000 to the customer, Delhi resident B S Gautam, as compensation including the cost of litigation.

Gautam had said in his complaint that he had a commercial electricity connection on the ground floor of his home which had been disconnected on his request by the discom.

He had been issued a receipt for the same but thereafter the discom started sending him bills based on the disconnected connection and later he even received a notice demanding payment of Rs 23,353, Gautam had said.

He had visited the BSES office several times for correction of the record and had also written to the higher authorities but in vain, he had alleged.

In its defence, BSES had said bills had been sent due to some technical snag and it had revised the same and due benefits have been given to him.