- (1.) - We are happy to record our appreciation of the good response that has come from the Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking to the suggestions made by this Commission for the purpose of setting right the grievance of the consumer voiced before us by Mr. H. D. Shourie on behalf of the Complainant. The statements dated 20. 08. 1989 and 19. 10. 1989 filed before us by the Delhi Electric Supply Undertaking set out in detail the steps taken by it in implementation of the suggestions made by this Commission and we are satisfied that those steps adequately go to redress the grievances that the consumer had on various counts which are set out in the petition before us.
(2.) IN regard to the complaint of delayed billing, the Respondent Undertaking has assured this Commission that steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no avoidable delay, henceforth, in issuing bills to the consumers and that with the adoption of computerisation, it is expected that it will be possible for the Undertaking to serve the bills on consumers regularly on a bimonthly basis. As regards the complaint of wrong billings, the statements filed before us disclose that adequate steps have been taken by the DESU to ensure that there will be no wrong billing to the extent to which it is humanly possible to avoid it. We have also been assured that in case any instance of wrong billing is brought to the notice of the DESU, steps will be promptly taken to verify the correctness of the complaint made by the consumer and to rectify the bill and until such rectification is effected, no disconnection will be made. The Undertaking has also mentioned in the two statements filed by it that has also decided to issue orders in implementation of the suggestions made by the Commission that in all cases where there has been a delay in the issuance of bills on the part of the Undertaking or where there has been wrong billing, the consumer will be allowed to pay the amount of the bill in six equal instalments and that the electric supply will not be disconnected from the premises of the consumer unless and until there has been a default in paying not less than two consecutive instalments. Dealing with the complaint of the consumer regarding the meter reading system in vogue, the Undertaking has told this Commission in the statements filed before us that they have already set up a committee to review the work norms of the meter-readers and that steps will be taken in the light of the recommendations of the committee to ensure that the revised work norms fixed for the meter-readers are reasonable and will be such as to allow the meter-readers sufficient time in the premises of each of the consumers concerned to take a correct reading of the meter. Regarding the grievance put forward by the Complainant that the meters fixed by the Undertaking in the premises of the consumers do not at all bear the ISI marking, the Respondent has stated that the specifications fixed by the DESU for the meters procured by them are much higher than the specifications fixed by I. S. I. On a notice issued by this Commission to the Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards, a representative of that institution appeared before us and told this Commission that the Bureau will have no objection to certify the meters of the DESU provided that they satisfy the standards fixed by the ISI and the fact that they are of superior standard will not stand in the way of the grant of such making. In view of this, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the DESU has assured us that henceforth, as far as possible, while purchasing new meters, they will purchase only the meters bearing the ISI mark. There should be no difficulty in this regard because the representative of the Bureau of Indian Standards has already told this Commission that they will certify meters which may be the higher specifications so long as they conform to the specifications fixed by the ISI.
(3.) WE also find from the statement filed by the DESU that adequate steps, both preventive and punitive, have been taken by them to deal with case of theft of electricity. Another important step taken by the DESU in response to our suggestions is that they have already takan action to constitute committees in every distinct for dealing with the grievances of the consumers. In addition, the DESU has decided to constitute two central advisory committees - one general and the other technical - in both of which there will be two representatives of consumers to be nominated by the Consumer Affairs Directorate of the Delhi Administration. Responding to the suggestion of Mr. H. D. Shourie made during his submissions before us today, counsel for the DESU very fairly agreed that DESU will nominate its Public Relations Officer in the central office as the person to whom complaints/petitions may be addressed and that he will see that the complaints are properly processed and dealt with expeditiously in the concerned Department of the DESU. We are satisfied that proper steps are being taken by DESU to maintain proper voltage and avoid fluctuations beyond the permissible limits. DESU has also stated in their written submissions that they are taking steps to improve the supply situation by augmenting their generation capacity. In the light of this, we do not feel that any direction in regard to this matter is called for. This petition is disposed of in the light of aforesaid observations made by us. ;