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A. RIGHT TO INFORMATION
B. RIGHT TO STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE
C. RIGHT TO SEEK REDRESSAL
D. RIGHT TO CONSUMER EDUCATION
E. ENFORCEMENT
A.
RIGHT TO INFORMATION
The consumer has a right to know:
i.
Each utility should be required to maintain a fully
informed bi-lingual website containing details of
organization structure, activities, infrastructure and
facilities for the consumers. The annual financial statement
of the organization and tariff applicable as per Commission
order are public documents and may be placed on the site. List
of Bill Collection Centres with addresses/contact numbers of
concerned officer in-charge of complaint redressal for each
Section/Sub-Division/Division, Schedule and compensation for
Minimum Standards of Performance and important documents
should be placed on the site.
ii. Entry into consumer's premises:
Consumers have a right to be informed by written notice/notice
pasted on consumer’s premises prior to the entry into their
premises by the CESUfor any prescribed purpose.
Identity
cards should be carried by all employees or authorized person
of the Utilities
during service on entry into consumer premises.
iii. Notice of outages:
The CESUshall provide not less than twenty four hours notice
through publication in local print or audio visual media or by
public address system prior to an outage exceeding thirty
minutes scheduled for the purpose of testing or any other
purpose connected with the efficient working of the system.
iv. Information prior to the
disconnection and procedure of reconnection:
The CESUmust follow the OERC (Licensees’ Standards of
Performance) Regulations, 2004. The consumer shall be provided
by written notice/notice pasted on consumer’s premises with
prescribed minimum period of notice before disconnection.
Before disconnecting the service, licensee’s employee
performing the disconnection must inform in writing reasons
for disconnection and take the signature of an adult residing
in the premises. If the proof of full payment is produced to
the satisfaction of the Licensee’s employee deputed for
disconnection, he shall not disconnect it. If there is no
adult, the employee shall deliver a note which contains
information as to reason for disconnection and how
reconnection can be obtained.
The CESUis exempted from the notice requirements of the above
Regulation only in cases where consumer's installation poses a
danger to the health or safety of the consumers or
Licensee’s employees or the public. An intimation to the
local Assistant Electrical Inspector should be given.
Proof
of service of notice for disconnection should be maintained
with the utility failing which penal action may be instituted.
The CESUwill restore service promptly when the cause of the
disconnection has been removed by the consumers.
v.
Procedure for providing new connection:
The
new connections are provided following the procedures as
prescribed in OERC Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code,
2004 and OERC (Licensees’ Standards of Performance)
Regulations, 2004. For getting this service from the licensee,
the potential consumers must follow the correct procedure. All
intending consumers are eligible for supply of electricity
within the prescribed time and on fulfillment of other
official formalities, if feasible. An application complete in
all respects will be taken to have been received 7 days from
date of posting by registered post with AD. The applicant does
have the right to be informed in writing about the reasons for
rejection, personal hearing, and appeal and for removal of
deficiencies in application for new connection as per the
Complaint Handling Procedure.
vi.
Meter:
The
CESUhas the responsibility to provide standard {and defect fee} meters unless the
consumer opts to have his own meter. If the consumer opts in
writing for the licensee’s meter and the same is not
supplied within specified time, it will be deemed to be a
delay in new connection and will be eligible for penalty as
per regulation. It should be periodically inspected by the
CESUand entered into the meter card with the signature of an
adult residing in the consumer’s premises and expeditiously
replaced/repaired whenever the meter is found defective/or the
same is intimated
to the CESUby the consumer in writing. The consumer has the
right to know the correctness of his meter.
Energy
Pass Book and Meter Card as approved by the Commission should
be issued to all consumers with
meters.
vii.
Intimation for Reclassification of Consumers:
a.
In case the CESUintends to reclassify any consumer in terms of
the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission, Distribution
(Conditions of Supply) Code, 2004 or otherwise it has to
notify the consumer accordingly and has to specifically inform
in writing, if a fresh agreement needs to be executed in
consequence of such reclassification.
b.
The notice shall state that CESUmay disconnect the supply of
power if the consumer does not take the required steps as
prescribed under Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission
Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 2004.
viii.
Notice Procedure:
All notice for disconnection shall be in writing. Notice for
scheduled outages may be through publication in
newspaper/public address system/electronic media/telephone.
Service of notice to individual consumers shall be governed by
Regulation 102 of
the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission Distribution (
Conditions of Supply ) Code, 2004.
ix. Tariff:
Consumers have a right to obtain copy of Tariff schedule on
payment of charges. A copy of the said schedule shall be
prominently displayed in all offices of the CESU dealing with
the commercial aspects.
x. Bill details:
Any
consumer should have
the right to access details of his profile including
record of payment in ledger on deposit of fees within a
specified time limit. The same procedure as adopted by RTI may
be followed.
B.
RIGHT TO STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE
i)
The CESUis required to maintain minimum standard of
performance in case of ;
a.
restoration of power supply
b.
quality of power supply
c.
period of scheduled outages
d.
complaint on meter
e.
application for new connection
f.
complaint on consumer bills
g.
complaint on reconnection after disconnection
h.
complaint on transfer of ownership and conversion of services
in the manner
prescribed in the OERC
(Licensee’s Standards
of Performance) Regulations, 2004. For violation of the above
the consumer has a right to compensation as per schedule of
the above Regulations.
C.
RIGHT TO SEEK REDRESSAL
i) Complaint Handling Procedure
The CESUhas to follow consistently its own "Complaint
Handling Procedure" approved by the Commission for proper
and effective redressal of consumer grievances.
D.
RIGHT
TO CONSUMER EDUCATION
i.
The CESUshall make a copy of "Consumer Rights
Statement", "Code of practice on Payment of
Bills", "Complaint Handling Procedure",
"Copy of the Tariff Schedule" ( both in
English and Oriya language) as revised from time to time,
available for inspection by members of the public during
normal working hours at his Head Office, Divisional Offices,
Sub-Divisional and Section Offices.
ii.
The CESUshall provide a copy of "Consumer Rights
Statement", "Code of practice on Payment of
Bills", "Complaint Handling Procedure",
"Copy of the Tariff Schedule" ( both in English and
Oriya language) as revised from time to time, to any person
who requests it on payment of reasonable charge and to each
new consumer free of charge.
- Utilities
should provide details of documents provided to bonafide
consumers
under Section D (ii) of the Consumer Right Statement. The
cost of the same may be included in the new connection
charges. Challan should be maintained for provision of
paid copies of the same documents provided to
consumers/members of public on demand. This dissemination
by utilities may be monitored in the performance review
meetings.
iv.
The CESUshall display a copy of "Consumer Rights
Statement" (both in English and Oriya language) in a
conspicuous place of each Bill Collection Centre.
v.
In every quarter, the CESUshall publish the "Consumer
Rights Statement" in Oriya language at least in one Oriya
daily newspaper and in English language in one English
daily newspaper having wide circulation in the CESU's area of
supply.
- Utilities should
display prominently on bulletin boards at all Bill
Collection Centres the Consumer Right Statement, Schedule
for Minimum Standards of Performance and Compensation,
Complaint Handling Procedure, Code of Practice on Payment
of Bill and Tariff schedule. This should be inspected and
reported periodically by Commission staff.
E.
ENFORCEMENT
In
order to enforce the above the Commission may hear complaints
and pass orders u/s 142 for violation of the above or may
delegate the same to any officer it deems fit.
Prepared
and submitted by the
CESUunder License
condition No. 19.3 of Orissa
Distribution
License issued by Orissa Electricity Regulatory
Commission.
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