TNERC writes to CGRF over non-compliance of orders on complaints

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has written to the chairperson of Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) over the non-compliance to the orders of the forum and the Electricity Ombudsman by the Tangedco officials.

"Many complaints are being received from the consumers that the officials of the Tangedco do not implement the orders of the CGRF/Electricity Ombudsman in time or fail to implement at all. This is a blatant violation of Regulation, " the TNERC secretary C Veeramani in a letter to the CGRF chairperson wrote.

The CGRF has been constituted as per section 42 (5) of the Electricity Act, 2003 in every Electricity Distribution Circle with Superintendent Engineer of the Tangedco acting as its chairperson. It said that as per the regulation, Tangedco should implement the decisions of the forum or the Ombudsman within the timeframe specified in the order and report compliance to the respective bodies.

"Non-compliance of the orders of the CGRF or the Electricity Ombudsman would attract actions against the erring officials under section 142 of the Electricity Act, 2003," the letter noted.

Pointing several directions were issued to Tangedco and directly to the chairperson of the CGRF to strictly monitor the compliance of the orders of the forum and Ombudsman, the TNERC secretary noted that the commission in its proceedings dated June 6, 2021 directed the chairperson to depute the Assistant Executive Engineer/PRO of the EDC for day to day checking of mails of the Forum and the Chairperson, maintenance of register, acknowledgement of the petition by the Forum, watching the time bound stages of each grievance on a daily basis till final disposal.

"A separate register shall be maintained by the AEE/PRO in this regard and the Chairman/CGRF shall review the progress of implementation of the orders in time, " it instructed and asked the Superintendent Engineers in their administrative capacity to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the erring officials.

Activist and retired Tangedco official S. Neelakanta Pillai blamed the TNERC for the present state of the CGRF and the Electricity Ombudsman as it failed to take action on the officials who failed to implement the orders.

He wondered why no action was taken on the SEs who is the chairperson of the CGRF and administrative head of the electricity distribution circle. "The commission wants the SEs to take action against the lower officials," he said. He alleged that the commission failed to protect the interest of the consumers.