JERC asks electricity dept to set up forum to redress grievances

‘Complaints must be decided within 30 days’

Panaji : Power consumers in the state can henceforth look forward to faster resolution of complaints with the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) asking the electricity department  to constitute a consumer grievances redressal forum mandating timelines for addressing complaints.

Under the JERC’s draft notification for the Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum and Ombudsman Regulations, 2024,  consumer grievance must be decided within a period of 30 days and not exceeding 45 days from the date of receipt of the grievance.

The draft regulations say that every electricity distribution licensee will have to set up a forum for redressal of consumer’s grievances in accordance with the guidelines. 

The forum will have to be located  in the headquarters of the electricity department, and it should consist of four members.

The JERC will nominate an independent member, while the other three members will be consumer, prosumer representative and from the  department.

The tenure of the redressel forum will be for a period of three years.

The draft says that every order made by the forum shall be a reasoned order and signed by the members conducting the proceedings.

“Provided that where the members differ, the opinion of the majority shall be the order of the forum. The opinion of the minority shall however, be recorded and shall form part of the order.”

Consumers can get a certified copy of the orders of the forum subject to payment of  fee and after complying with other terms decided by the forum.

It says  the licensee will send quarterly reports to the ombudsman and the commission, in respect of standards of performance, other performance parameters and whether the time schedule has been followed in redressing the consumer grievances.

The performance of the forum will be monitored by the JERC.

The draft regulations are for  Goa and the Union territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.

They  will come into effect once notified by the government. Several demands for a consumer redressel forum have been made in the state at various public hearings conducted by the JERC for determination of tariff. 

The complaints are primarily of wrong billing besides unannounced power outages. Power consumers have also complained of lack of transparency by the electricity department in resolving the complaints.