MSEDCL to start two more customer facilitation centres

From payment of electricity bills,resolving disputes to applying for new connections,the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd now promises to expedite the process by starting two consumer facilitation centres over the next ten days at Rasta Peth and Sanghvi.

From payment of electricity bills,resolving disputes to applying for new connections,the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd now promises to expedite the process by starting two consumer facilitation centres (CFCs) over the next ten days at Rasta Peth and Sanghvi.

S P Nagtilak,Chief Engineer of the Pune Division of the MSEDCL told The Indian Express that work was underway at a hectic pace and the centres should start within ten days. Every month we receive at least 10,000 applications for new electricity connections. At the centre now we can expedite the work and even permit service connections within a week depending on the availability of the electric supply to the areas, he said.

Presently there is a call centre with a toll free number (1 800 233 3435) that has helped track complaints about disruption in supply. “During the rainy season we get as many as 2000 complaints on a daily basis,” says Nagtilak and where it is possible most of the grievances are met with. For instance if it is a fuse call complaint the matter is resolved within two hours. While the call centre continues to function independently,the proposal to start CFC’s for the Rasta Peth and Ganeshkhind division will ensure that most of the greivances are met under one roof.

There are 30 sub divisions in Rasta Peth and Ganeshkhind divisions and a total of Rs 15-20 lakh has been spent on the setting up of the CFCs,Nagtilakh said. While Vivek Velankar ,President of the Grahak Sajag Manch welcomed the initiative to set up the CFC,he urged that the facility wil be available only for urban consumers.

Velankar said that Pune rural consumers were deprived of a call centre facility and the response to complaints from consumers was not adequate. Rural consumers don’t know where to lodge a complaint for supply failure and most of the times it becomes a verbal exercise leaving no proof of registration of complaint. He urged the power utlity to extend the toll free call centre complaint registration service to Pune Rural so that consumers get an improved quality service. The MSEDCL staff will have to assure service as part of Standard of Performance (SOP) and in case of failure to restore the supply in stipulated period,rural consumers can file a claim for SOP compensation .

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