JUDGEMENT
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(1.)Leave granted.
(2.)M/s L.L.C. Steels Pvt. Ltd. was a consumer of
electricity from the appellant, a distributing company
established in the place of the State Electricity Board. It
allegedly fell into arrears to the tune of Rs.64,23,695/-
towards consumption charges of electrical energy including
interest and other incidental charges. Because of the failure
to pay the consumption charges, the power to the undertaking
was disconnected on 6.4.1998. M/s L.L.C. Steels Pvt. Ltd. had
also borrowed amounts from the Haryana Financial
Corporation and had mortgaged the undertaking to the
Financial Corporation. In exercise of power under Section
29 of the State Financial Corporations Act, 1951, the
undertaking was taken over by the Financial Corporation and
advertised for sale. In the advertisement, the undertaking
was offered for sale on "as is where is basis". The first
respondent herein bid the undertaking and its bid was
accepted. Possession was given by the Financial Corporation
to the first respondent on 22.4.1999.
(3.)On 27.11.2001, the appellant- Company decided to
incorporate a term in the Terms and Conditions of Supply of
electrical energy by providing that in cases where a consumer
had defaulted in paying electrical charges and there had been
a consequent disconnection of supply, no fresh connection in
respect of the premises would be given to a purchaser unless
the purchaser cleared the amount that was left in arrears by
the consumer whose undertaking had been purchased. It is
seen that the first respondent applied for a connection on
1.1.2002. The appellant- Company took the stand that unless
the first respondent paid the amount outstanding against M/s
L.L.C. Steels Pvt. Ltd., the prior consumer, no fresh
connection could be given to the first respondent. Since the
first respondent was not willing to comply, the application of
the first respondent was rejected. The first respondent
thereupon filed a suit, Civil Suit No. 23 of 2002 in the Court of
Civil Judge (Senior Division), Faridabad, seeking to restrain
the appellant- Company from interfering with the use of
generators by the first respondent for generating electricity for
its use and for a mandatory injunction directing the appellant-
Company to give a fresh electric connection to the first
respondent without insisting on the clearing of the dues of the
prior owner of the premises. Even while the suit was pending,
the first respondent filed a Writ Petition, Civil Writ Petition No.
5350 of 2002 in the High Court of Punjab & Haryana praying
for the issue of a writ of certiorari to quash the circular dated
27.11.2001 introducing a condition for fresh connection only
on payment of the dues of the previous consumer of electricity
in the premises concerned, for a writ of prohibition restraining
the appellant from removing the generators installed by the
first respondent in the premises, for a writ of mandamus
directing the appellant to provide electric connection
temporarily to enable the first respondent to run its factory
during the pendency of the Writ Petition and for other
incidental reliefs. The scrutiny of the prayers made in the Writ
Petition shows that there was no prayer for a writ of
mandamus directing the appellant- Company to provide a
permanent electric connection to the first respondent. The
appellant resisted the Writ Petition submitting that the first
respondent having already approached the Civil Court for
relief, the Writ Petition was not maintainable. It was further
contended that the Circular dated 27.11.2001 sought to be
challenged in the Writ Petition was issued in exercise of power
under Section 49 of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 by the
competent authority thereunder and that incorporation of
such a condition in the Terms and Conditions of Supply was
statutory in nature and was perfectly valid. It was also
pleaded that the fact that a substantial amount was due to the
appellant from M/s L.L.C. Steels Pvt. Ltd. was brought to the
notice of the Financial Corporation and a request was made
that the amount of Rs.60,48,504/- should also be recovered
when the sale was effected by it. The sale by the Financial
Corporation was on "as is where is basis" and hence the first
respondent was liable for the dues run up in respect of the
premises by the prior consumer. It was submitted that there
was no merit in the Writ Petition and it was liable to be
dismissed.