Retired judge Desmond D’Costa was appointed as chairperson of the forum and has taken charge.
Panaji: The electricity department’s consumer grievance redressal forum has become functional after a year, during which it managed with a single member and no chairperson.
Retired judge Desmond D’Costa was appointed as chairperson of the forum and has taken charge.
The forum with its headquarters at Vidyut Bhavan has already sent out notices to parties and scheduled hearings for August 21 onwards. The appointment of a chairperson is expected to help the forum dispose of pending complaints.
Several cases of erroneous billing, restoration of electricity connection, correction of bills and excess billing of closed houses were adjourned sine die after the forum became non-functional due to a lack of quorum which is a minimum of two members.
The last chairperson, D G Deshpande, vacated the office in July last year leaving the forum functioning with only a single (nominated) member, Sandra Vaz e Correia.
The department is also in the process of appointing another member, a retired executive engineer of the electricity department.
A majority of the complaints received by the forum pertain to billing issues. It also entertains consumer grievances related to any fault, imperfection or inadequacy in services of the electricity department including billing disputes, safety of distribution system which has a potential of endangering life and property as well as issues pertaining to the department’s failure to register or redress a consumer’s grievance.
In addition to existing consumers, even an applicant for an electrical connection can approach the forum for delay in release of power supply.
Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes
