Umesh Kumar v. South Bihar Power Distribution company
Case brief
What is this about?
Patna High Court CWJC No.6974 of 2023, order dated 22-08-2024, Justice A. Abhishek Reddy; writ petition disposed of without adjudication on merits; ground: alternate efficacious remedy before Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) under Section 42(6), Electricity Act, 2003; liberty granted (four weeks) to petitioner Umesh Kumar to complain to CGRF; CGRF to hear petitioner and decide on merits within preferably eight weeks; respondents: SBPDCL (Managing Director, Patna), Sub-Divisional Officer Electricity Jehanabad, Executive Engineer SBPDCL Jehanabad, Junior Engineer SBPDCL Kako; keywords: writ jurisdiction refused, alternate remedy doctrine, CGRF, electricity dispute, Jehanabad, SBPDCL.
What did the court decide?
Liberty to the petitioner to approach the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) under Section 42(6) of the Electricity Act, 2003 within four weeks; CGRF directed to decide the complaint on its own merits with an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, completing the exercise preferably within eight weeks.