Hareeram Singh vs State of U.P. Prin. Secy. Deptt. of Power/ Energy Lko. and 3 Others — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Hareeram Singh vs State of U.P. Prin. Secy. Deptt. of Power/ Energy Lko. and 3 Others — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Liberty to file a detailed representation before respondent No. 2 within 10 days; respondent No. 2 to decide it within six weeks by speaking and reasoned order and communicate it to the petitioner; no coercive action by respondents pending such decision, subject to the petitioner depositing Rs. 50,000/- within two weeks.

Issue for consideration

Whether the demands raised on the petitioner by the bills dated 05.04.2024 and 31.01.2026 are arbitrary and recoverable, having regard to the submission that under Section 56 of the Indian Electricity Act only two years' previous dues can be recovered.

Court's answer

The writ petition is disposed of with liberty to the petitioner to move an appropriate representation before respondent No. 2 (Executive Engineer / Prescribed Authority, Vidyut Vitaran Khand-II, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd., Gonda) within 10 days giving all details of his grievances; on such representation being filed, respondent No. 2 shall consider and decide it within six weeks by a speaking and reasoned order and communicate the decision to the petitioner.

Ratio / Principle

As interim protection, if the petitioner deposits Rs. 50,000/- within two weeks, the respondents shall not take any coercive action against him until respondent No. 2 decides the representation.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench), Writ - C No. 3734 of 2026 (Alok Mathur, J. and Amitabh Kumar Rai, J.; decided April 23, 2026): Disposal of a writ petition challenging electricity dues demanded of a consumer (connection at Gonda) by bill dated 05.04.2024 for Rs. 24,805.28 with delay-payment penalty of Rs. 6,195.21 and a further bill dated 31.01.2026 for Rs. 5,13,859.37, raised after a smart meter installed in 2021 generated no bills. Petitioner's counsel contended the demands were arbitrary and that, per Section 56 of the Indian Electricity Act, only two years' previous dues are recoverable. Without adjudicating the merits, the Court disposed of the petition, directing the petitioner to move a detailed representation within 10 days before respondent No. 2 (Executive Engineer / Prescribed Authority, Vidyut Vitaran Khand-II, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd., Gonda), who must decide it within six weeks by a speaking and reasoned order and communicate it to the petitioner; no coercive action is to be taken meanwhile if the petitioner deposits Rs. 50,000/- within two weeks.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD LUCKNOW

WRIT - C No. - 3734 of 2026

Hareeram Singh

.....Petitioner(s)

Versus

State Of U.P. Prin. Secy. Deptt. Of Power/ Energy Lko. And 3 Others

.....Respondent(s)

Counsel for Petitioner(s) : Awadhesh Kumar Tiwari Counsel for Respondent(s) : C.S.C., Neera Yadav

Court No. - 5

HON'BLE ALOK MATHUR, J. HON'BLE AMITABH KUMAR RAI, J.

Heard Awadhesh Tiwari, learned counsel for petitioner as well as learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents and Ms. Neera Yadav, learned counsel has accepted notices on behalf of respondent No. 3.

It has been submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner has an electric connection Lauveerpur Pahalawan Beer Baba Nawabganj Nawabganj, Gonda and the petitioner has been paying his dues till 2021. He has submitted that one new smart meter was installed in 2021 and thereafter the petitioner has not received any bill and it is only in 2024 that by means of bill dated 05.04.2024 a demand of Rs. 24,805.28 has been raised upon the petitioner along with penalty for delay payment of amount of Rs. 6,195.21.

He has further submitted that he has received another bill on 31.01.2026 for an amount of Rs. 5,13,859.37-. It has been submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the action of the respondent is absolutely arbitrary apart from which he has submitted that as per provision of Section 56 of Indian Electricity Act only dues for two years previous can be recovered in case the conditions provided therein are fulfilled.

After arguing the matter at some length, learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that grievance of the petitioner shall be substantially redressed in case respondent No. 2 i.e. Executive Engineer /

WRIC No. 3734 of 2026

2

Prescribed Authority, Vidyut Vitaran Khand-II, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd. Gonda is directed to consider and decide representation of the petitioner in this regard.

Learned counsel for the respondent does not oppose the prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioner.

Accordingly, the writ petition is disposed of with a liberty to the petitioner to move appropriate representation before respondent No. 2 i.e. Executive Engineer / Prescribed Authority, Vidyut Vitaran Khand-II, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd. Gonda within next 10 days giving all details of his grievances and on submission of the said representation, the respondent No. 2 shall consider and decide the same within six weeks thereafter by speaking and reasoned order and communicate the same to the petitioner.

It is further provided that in case the petitioner deposits an amount of Rs. 50,000/- within next two weeks, no coercive action shall be taken by the respondents till the decision is taken by respondent No. 2 on the representation of the petitioner.

(Amitabh Kumar Rai,J.) (Alok Mathur,J.)

April 23, 2026 Ravi/

Digitally signed by :- RAVI SHANKAR SRIVASTAV High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench