Nagpur: Can you pay all electricity bills in the coin? Additional district consumer disputes here, while deciding interesting cases, responding negatively, if the amount is more than RS1,000.
The complainant in this case is willing to pay a delayed power bill RS36,020 through RE1, RS2.5 and 10 coins, but is rejected by the judges, clarifying that no one can deposit coins worth more than RS1,000 per day, according to the coin law, 2011.
When defending Maharashtra Limited electricity distribution company (MSEDCL) moved to a power connection Sever Pengitu Sandeep Thakre – who run a grocery store – and his mother Lakshmi, a bench consisting of President Sanjay Patil and Avinash Prabhune members rejected their request to pay RS36 arrears .020 through coins of Rs 1,000 / day, stating that there are no provisions in the law, both installments.
Kalmeshwar residents moved the forum after MsEDCL cut their power supply on March 12, because they failed to pay bills for 13 months since February 2020.
According to them, there was no written notice about delayed arrears issued related to disconnection, but MSEDCL steps to serve notifications via SMS And WhatsApp was enforced by the forum.
“From all documents before us and after hearing the lawyer’s argument, it was clear that MSEDCL actions according to the rules and had no errors in the service.
The complaint was deservised,” said the bench.
Citing various national commission assessments and other state commissions in Mumbai and Raipur, the bench held Thakre did not qualify to submit a complaint, because of its electricity meter in his mother’s name.
, “Only people whose name is a registered connection qualified to submit a complaint before the forum as a ‘consumer’.
Part 2 (1) (d) Electricity Act, 1986, clearly states that other people do not meet the requirements.
To file a complaint because they are complaint Not included in the definition of ‘consumers’.
Although the first complainant uses electricity, the power connection is not in its name.
Therefore, this forum has a clear opinion to submit a complaint.
” Concillating, the judges added that their willingness to pay the full amount of clarifying that they had no financial difficulties in paying arrears.
“Considering the default 13 months in cleaning the bill, they seem to try to avoid payment.
Despite the provisions of the coin law, 2011 clearly, they seem to have presented an unnecessary argument by interpreting it.
The ignorance of the law cannot be a defense.” Indicates that Thakres asked permission To pay RS1,000 / day towards arrears, Bench said if they can deposit the number through coins, they can pay bills regularly in the past year by depositing it in the bank and then making a payment to MSEDCL.
“Instead, they mislead the forum by presenting false information about arrears.
It seems that the complaint was submitted to harass MSEDCL, even though his steps to cut the power supply were appropriate.
We are thinking that complaints are misuse of the justice process available for consumers,” they said.