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State of Rajasthan - Act

Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Guidelines for Redressal of Grievances) Regulations, 2008

RAJASTHAN
India

Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Guidelines for Redressal of Grievances) Regulations, 2008

Rule RAJASTHAN-ELECTRICITY-REGULATORY-COMMISSION-GUIDELINES-FOR-REDRESSAL-OF-GRIEVANCES-REGULATIONS-2008 of 2008

  • Published on 1 March 2008
  • Commenced on 1 March 2008
  • [This is the version of this document from 1 March 2008.]
  • [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Guidelines for Redressal of Grievances) Regulations, 2008Published vide Notification No. RERC/Secy./Reg. 73, dated 1.3.2008Last Updated 22nd May, 2019Notification No. RERC/Secy/Reg 73. - In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 181 read with sub-section (5) of section 42 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (No. 36 of 2003) and powers enabling it, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission after prior publication hereby makes the following regulations: -

1. Short Title and Commencement.

(1)These regulations shall be called the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (Guidelines for Redressal of Grievances) Regulations, 2008 which will come into force from the date of their publication in the official gazette.

2. Definition.

- In these regulations, unless the subject matter or context otherwise require;
(1)"Act" means the Electricity Act, 2003 and the "Commission" means Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission;
(2)"Licensee" means the Distribution Licensee as defined in the Act and includes deemed licensee U/s 14 of the Act;
(3)"Forum" means Grievance Redressal cum Settlement Forum including the Sub-divisional Forum, Divisional Forum, Circle Forum or District Forum & Corporate Forum as the case may be;
(4)The term "consumer" defined in the Act includes a person having applied for electric connection with the distribution licensee in its area of supply.Words or expressions occurring in these Regulations and not defined shall bear the same meaning as provided in the Electricity Act, 2003.

3. The grievance of the consumer shall be classified as here-under.

(1)Monetary in nature. - Consumer grievance relating to electricity bills, recovery of arrear, payment of demand raised by the licensee except the cases covered u/Ss 126 & 135 of the Act.
(2)General or Non-monetary nature. - Consumer grievances such as relating to quality of supply, defects in service & standards of performance by the licensee.

4. Establishment of Forum.

(1)Every licensee in the State at its Corporate Office will have a "Grievance Redressal cum Settlement "Forum" for the redressal of consumers grievances in accordance with the guidelines contained in these Regulations.
(2)The licensee may establish more than one such Forum ensuing timely disposal of consumer grievances.
(3)The jurisdiction of the Forum will be :
(1) Grievances of Non-monetary/general nature :
  (a) Divisional Forum   Grievance of LT supply consumers of the Division
  (b) Circle (District) Forum   Grievance of HT supply consumers of the Circle
  (c) Corporate Forum   Grievance of EHT supply consumers
(2) Grievance of Monetary nature:
  (a) Sub-divisional Forum   Monetary limit of Rs.10,000/-
  (b) Divisional Forum   Monetary limit of Rs.25,000/-
  (c) Circle (District) Forum   Monetary limit of Rs.3,00,000/-
  (d) Corporate Forum   More than Rs.3,00,000/-

5. Registration of complaint/grievances.

(1)The licensee will specify its offices where the complaints can be made and registered.
(2)Complaints can be made orally in person or on telephone or in writing to the duty in-charge at the specified office.
(3)Each complaint will be entered in a register meant for the purpose under the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission ('Distribution Licensees' Standards of Performance) Regulations, 2003, each complaint will be assigned a number which is to be conveyed to the consumer.
(4)In urban complaints centers, the licensee will provide the facility of complaint registration via Interactive Voice Recording system through telephone in a phased manner for which a definite time frame will be given and acted upon.
(5)The licensee shall endeavour its best efforts to redress the consumer complaint at the initial stage. However, in case of non-satisfaction, the aggrieved consumer may approach the appropriate Forum in person or through post for redressal of his grievance and may also be requesting for interim relief, if so required.
(6)The office of the Forum Chairman or the authorized officer/official will acknowledge the grievance received, indicating the registration number and the date.

6. Registration Fee.

(1)No fee shall be payable by the consumer for the redressal of non-monetary nature of grievance.
(2)The registration of monetary nature grievances will attract a fee of:
(a) at Sub-divisional Forum - Rs.50/-
(b) at Divisional Forum - Rs.100/-
(c) at Circle Forum - Rs.250/-
(d) at Corporate Forum - Rs.1000/-

7. Disposal of grievances.

(1)The Forum will redress the consumer grievances as per provisions of the Act, Rules and Regulations made there-under, general orders/directions given by the Commission from time to time in settling the grievances with mutual consensus :
(a)Where the mutual consensus is arrived at settlement proceeding will be recorded and a copy thereof will be made available to the consumer.
(b)Where no mutual consensus is arrived at, the forum will pass speaking orders on merits indicating the contention of the consumer and ruling of the Forum.
(c)The consumer aggrieved by the decision of Sub-divisional/Divisional/Circle Forum will have the option to approach the Corporate Forum before making an appeal to the Ombudsman. For monetary nature of grievance, a fee of Rs.750/- be deposited while appealing the Corporate Forum.
(2)The Chairman of the Forum, on considering the grievance, if satisfied, may grant an interim relief, pending final disposal of the grievance where prima-facie it appears to be genuine and the consumer is likely to suffer an irreparable loss if, an immediate relief is not provided.
(3)Every Forum, at the office will display the date of meeting last held & the next meeting scheduled number of grievances settled and pending.

8. Time frame disposal of grievances.

- Normally, the grievance will be disposed of in 30 days and in any case not exceeding 45 days from the date of its receipt registration.

9. Appeal.

- (i) If a consumer's grievance is not redressed by the Forum within the specified time or the consumer is not satisfied with the disposal of his grievance, he will be free to approach the 'Ombudsman' appointed by the Commission as per RERC (Settlement of Dispute by Ombudsman) Regulation, 2003.
(ii)If an appeal is made by the aggrieved consumer due to non-disposal of his grievance by the Forum in the given time frame, the matter with the earlier Forum will stand dropped.

10. Wide publicity of Forum office.

- Complete address and telephone number of the Complaint Center and Grievance Redressal Forum must be intimated to the consumers through electricity bills and wide publicity be given through press and media and in Sub-divisional (AEN) Offices.

11. Monitoring of grievances.

(1)The licensee will set up a mechanism at Circle level for close monitoring of the grievances redressal. The information will be compiled at corporate level ensuring the adherance of the time schedule laid down by the Commission.
(2)The licensee will send quarterly reports to the Ombudsman and to the Commission in the form specified by RERC, from time to time in respect of standards of performance, other performance parameters and consumer grievances related information showing the extent to which the time schedule has been followed in redressing the consumer grievances. Regular quarterly reports will be sent by the licensee at the end of the month to the Commission.

12. Detailed instructions.

(1)Detailed instructions as per above guidelines relating to handling of grievances must be conveyed by the licensee along with the Constitution of the Grievance Redressal cum Settlement Forum at the Sub-divisional, Divisional, Circle/District and Corporate Office within one month of coming into effect of these regulations and within six months where a new license is granted by the Commission.
(2)A set of the instructions and the Constitution of the Forum shall be furnished by the licensee to the Ombudsman and to the Commission within one week of its issue.

13. Consumers Rights Protection.

- Nothing contained in these regulations shall in any way prejudice or affect the rights and privileges of the consumers under the other laws including the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (Central Act No. 68 of 1986)

14. Nomination of a Member in the Forum by the Commission.

- The Commission will nominate one independent Member in each Forum, established by the licensee. The qualifications and experience of the persons nominated as Member of the Forum and remuneration shall be as per guidelines specified by the Commission incorporating the manner and term of appointment, removal of Member etc.

15. Repeal and Saving.

(1)Save as otherwise provided in these Regulations the RERC (Guidelines for Redressal of Grievances) Regulations, 2003 are hereby repealed.
(2)Notwithstanding such repeal anything done or any action taken or purported to have been done for the purpose of redressal of consumer grievance by the licensee shall be deemed to be done under the corresponding provisions of these Regulations.