Section 8 in Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Standards of Performance of Distribution Licensees, Period for Giving Supply and Determination of Compensation) Regulations, 2014
8. Complaint Registration and Complaint Handling.
- Establishment of Call centre(s)8.1The Distribution Licensee shall within the following time limits, from the date of commencement of these Regulations, establish Call centre facility(s) for redressal of complaints of its consumers. Access to such Call centre facility(s) shall be established to its consumers round the clock during all days of the week :-(a)for "Class I cities" within twelve (12) months;(b)for "Urban Areas" within twenty-four (24) months; and(c)for "Rural Areas" within sixty (60) months.8.2The Distribution Licensee shall use the existing channels for recording the consumer complaints till the establishment of Call centre(s).8.3Every Distribution Licensee shall employ or engage sufficient number of persons at its Call centre(s) and also earmark or allot or establish a basic telephone or cellular mobile telephone number having sufficient communication lines or connections to be called as the "toll free number" or "consumer care number" or "help line number" as the case may be, at Call centre(s).8.4The call charges or short message service charges shall not be levied upon, or made payable by the consumers, for calls made, or, short messages sent, to the "toll free number" or "consumer care number" or "help line number", as the case may be.8.5Every Distribution Licensee shall, immediately upon establishment of Call centre(s), inform through a public notice in newspapers in circulation in the Area of Supply, by uploading on internet website of the Distribution Licensee and should also ensure proper circulation of information to the consumers in case of any changes in the contact numbers.8.6The Distribution Licensee should ensure the availability of electronic data base to record the complaints.8.7The Distribution Licensee shall convey information of the name of office (s), address (es) and telephone numbers wherein the consumer can lodge complaints, in the form of additional information along with or printed on the electricity bills and shall also display it at the sub-division offices or equivalent distribution unit and on the internet website of that Distribution Licensee.Process of handling complaints8.8The Distribution Licensee shall register each and every complaint made by a consumer (either verbally or in writing) in a manual register or in electronic format to be maintained for this purpose. The complaint register may be maintained category wise which will help in finalization of compensation and reporting of the performance to the Commission. The Distribution Licensee shall allot a number to each complaint which shall be duly communicated to the consumer except in the case of postal complaints received. However in case of postal complaints, the number shall be communicated to the complainant in case subsequent to the delivery of postal complaint, the complainant makes an enquiry with regard to the complaint number/status thereof telephonically or in person.8.9The Distribution Licensee shall devise its own processes at complaint handling centers/call centre(s)/customer care centre(s)/service centre(s) or any other customer interface channels to handle consumer complaints.
