WARDHA, Nov 24: In a landmark judgement, the District Consumers' Grievances Redressal Forum has directed the rural office of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board to pay a compensation of Rs 500 to a farm worker for inconvenience caused to him due to disruption of power supply.The Forum said that the MSEB showed reluctance in redressing the consumer's grievance and failed to give satisfactory explanation thereby. According to complainant Gendalal Kavdu Wankhede, a resident of Sukali (Bai) in Seloo tehsil who pleaded his case himself, he lived in a hut where only one bulb was used. Although power consumption in such a case is expected to be less than 50 units for billing period, the MSEB issued a bill for Rs 1,777 to him. Shocked, he tried to draw the attention of MSEB officials towards the faulty billing many a times.However, the officials turned a deaf ear to his pleas and disrupted power supply to him without even conducting an inquiry, Wankhede alleged.Advocate K N Deshmukh, who appeared for MSEB, refuted the allegations and said that the amount of Rs 1,777 was, in fact, outstanding against Wankhede for past two years and that a bill of only Rs 247 was sent to the complainant in August, 1996.Since MSEB failed to take meter readings in rural areas between August, 1996, and February, 1997, and since the consumer did not pay the earlier bill of Rs 247, a bill of Rs 412 was issued to him in February, 1997.
