Hyderabad: An octogenarian from Malkajgiri, Hyderabad, has won his six-year fight against the power distribution company with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-3 of Hyderabad awarding him a Rs 2 lakh compensation.
Eighty-two-year old B. Ramdass of Mirzalaguda in Malkajgiri filed a case in 2010 December and the Forum ruled in his favour on March 17 in 2016.
He owns two houses with four electricity connections. In the complaint he alleged that APCPDCL official used to visit his house in odd hours on the pretext of inspection, which was brought to the notice of Malkajgiri police.
“When police questioned, the official stated that I tampered with the meter. However the SI of police, in the probe, found that the meter was intact," Ramdass said.
“In 2010 the officials illegally disconnected power supply. I was forced to stay in the other house with my unmarried daughters. The power supply was restored only after interim order of Forum in December,” he alleged.
APCPDCL argued that bills to the tune of Rs 15,236 were pending against the connections. A malpractice case against the said service connection was booked on September 30 2010. Disconnection was made on December 1 for non-payment of arrears existing on other service connections.
On September 29, the official visited the house of the complainant for booking of the malpractice case and not for any harassment as alleged by the complainant.
APCPDCL claimed that the connection was from 1973 onward. Mr Ramdass produced 31 exhibits that included bills, inspection reports, RTI replies, consumption statements, sale deed and building permissions as evidences. He produced evidence showing that he got building permission in 2002 from Municipal Corporation and started construction in 2003.
Construction on two floors was completed in 2006. APCPDCL failed to provide evidence regarding connection existing from 1973. They were also disproved on allegation that Mr Ramdass used his household connections for commercial purposes.
Mr Ramdass also produced evidence showing that he was very prompt in paying the consumption charges to the four service connections. The forum observed that the evidence showed that the department was intentionally creating reason to harass him.
