Pooja Karanjkar vs State Of Uttarakhand And Others

Pankaj Purohit, J

By means of the present writ petition, the petitioner has sought indulgence of this Court for a direction to the respondent no. 2–Managing Director, UPCL to decide the representations/complaints dated 08.09.2023 and 08.01.2024 moved by the petitioner within a stipulated period fixed by this Court.

Heard learned counsel for the parties.

It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioner that petitioner was issued wrong bills for excessive demands by the respondent-electricity department. Against those inflated bills, petitioner moved an application to the Consumer Redressal Forum under Section 42, sub-section 5 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The Consumer Redressal Forum dismissed the complaint of the petitioner vide its judgment and order dated 25.01.2022.

Feeling aggrieved, the petitioner moved an appeal to the ombudsman under Section 42, sub-section 6 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The said appeal was disposed of by the learned ombudsman vide order dated 31.05.2022 and a direction was issued to the respondent-UPCL to find out the erring staff and to take appropriate action against them and the petitioner was given an opportunity to move such an application to the competent authority. The petitioner moved a complaint after the order passed by the ombudsman on 08.09.2023 and 08.01.2024 (Annexure Nos. 13 and 14 to the writ petition) to the respondent no. 2.

The grievance of the petitioner, by means of this writ petition, is only limited to the extent that such application are decided and therefore, he wants interference of this Court for a direction to the respondent no. 2 to decide the complaint of the petitioner expeditiously.

Learned counsel for the respondents have no objection to the grievance raised by the petitioner inasmuch as, only a direction is sought by the petitioner for decision of his complaints logically, within a stipulated period.

In such view of the matter, the writ petition is disposed of finally. Respondent no. 2 is directed to decide the complaints of the petitioner dated 08.09.2024 and 08.01.2024 within a period of three months, from the date of production of certified copy of this order, by a reasoned and speaking order.