District consumer commission orders electricity department to install tubewell for farmer within two months

A district consumer commission in Sambhal has ordered the electricity department to install a tubewell connection for a farmer within two months and directed officials to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental agony and financial loss, warning that failure to comply will result in recovery of Rs one lakh from the salaries of responsible officers.

Prempal, a resident of village Ghasipur in Sambhal, had applied to the electricity department in 2018-19 for a private tubewell connection on his agricultural land bearing gata number 892 under the general scheme. The application was approved in December 2018.

Despite depositing the required amount as per rules after approval, the electricity department continued to delay the installation. When Prempal complained to the District Magistrate of Sambhal, the department told him that he could either get the private tubewell installed under the deposit scheme or get his deposited amount refunded.

Left with no option, Prempal approached advocate Lovmohan Varshney, an expert in consumer matters, who filed a complaint on his behalf before the District Consumer Commission, Sambhal.

When the commission summoned the electricity department, officials claimed that although Prempal's name was included in the target list, a private tubewell connection under the general scheme was already operational in his name, and therefore a second connection could not be provided.

Prempal's advocate Lovmohan Varshney objected to this reasoning, arguing that no such rule exists in the electricity code that prevents an individual from getting a second connection if one private tubewell already exists in their name.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the commission accepted the complaint and ordered the respondents to install a 7.5 horsepower private tubewell connection under the general scheme on gata number 892 within two months and ensure electricity supply.

The commission further directed the respondents to pay Rs 25,000 to the complainant for mental agony and financial loss, along with Rs 2,500 towards litigation expenses. In case of non-compliance within the stipulated period, compensation amounting to Rs one lakh along with nine percent annual interest from the date of filing the complaint will be payable, and this amount will be deducted from the salaries of the concerned Executive Engineer, Sub-Divisional Officer and Assistant Engineer.