Court directive in power supply case

AHMEDABAD, Oct 27: Gujarat High Court, in a recent judgment, ordered that power supply, if disconnected by the AEC on charges of tampering with the meter, could be restored on payment of 60 per cent of the amount assessed by the company if the customer chose to file a civil suit.

The decision was given after AEC appealed to the High Court against an interim order order of the city civil court asking it to restore connection against payment of Rs 50,000. The total assessment made by AEC was to the tune of Rs 2,72,487. The order was made following a suit filed by the consumer asking for an interim stay order on restoring his connection. Power supply had been snapped after the customer was found to have tampered with his meter during routine checking.

The court also observed that the customer could have approached the appellate authority after paying 60 per cent of the assessed amount. Also, it ordered the customer to pay the amount in monthly instalments.

However, the order also stated that if the customer failed to pay an instalment, AEC could disconnect supply again. Advocate Kaushik Pujara pleaded the case for AEC.