Jamshedpur, Nov. 5: District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) to restore the electricity connection and refund excess money deposited by a city-based consumer.

The two-member bench of the forum has directed the executive engineer of the JSEB to restore domestic connection and refund excess billing of one Bhuneswar Singh, resident of Bhuiyandih, within a month after receiving a certified copy of the order.

On August 16, 2004, the complainant had lodged a case against JSEB for disconnecting his electricity supply and excess billing despite regular monthly payment. Singh had taken domestic connection from the JSEB in December 2003. In the first three months (December, January and February), the JSEB had sent electricity bills of Rs 103, Rs 30 and Rs 54, respectively, which Singh paid on time.

In June, JSEB sent an electricity bill amounting to Rs 15,915 for non-payment of the earlier monthly bills. When the complainant informed the officials of JSEB about excess billing, they directed him to pay Rs 5,000 for re-checking of monthly bills as per the electricity rules. But Singh paid Rs 4,600 against Rs 5,000 as a revaluation charge of bills by the JSEB. However, the JSEB officials were not able to produce a fresh bill.

JSEB, in its reply to the petition filed by the consumer, stated that Singh was sanctioned a domestic consumption of electricity worth of 1 KW of energy but the consumer had exceeded the upper limit. JSEB also alleged that Singh had been given electricity for domestic consumption but he used it commercially.

“The JSEB has been found deficient in providing service to its consumers. The forum directs the opposition party to adjust excess bill, re-connect the electricity connection and return if there is excess billing,” the forum order reads.