Bombay HC: Electricity bill grievance mechanism conceived in consumer interest; disposes PIL

MUMBAI: Bombay high court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice A S Gadkari on Wednesday did not consider it necessary to intervene to grant any concessions but directed that any consumer unhappy with the bills received from his or her electricity distribution company can make grievances to the grievance cell of their power distribution company.
The HC directed that such grievance cells should not waste any time in responding to them and “shall abide in letter and spirit’’ by the “Press Note issued’’ to ensure no one is disconnected for non-payment until bill related grievance is redressed.
The provisions of grievance redressal mechanism under Electricity Act are “conceived in interest of consumers” and therefore the issue “doesn’t require any further intervention” said the HC while disposing a PIL filed by BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha against “inflated” electricity bills received by many during the financially draining covid-19 lockdown.