Calcutta High Court (Appellete Side)
Sri Manoranjan Manna vs The State Of West Bengal And Others on 25 January, 2024
AD-30
Ct No.09
25.01.2024
TN
WPA No. 1357 of 2024
Sri Manoranjan Manna
Vs.
The State of West Bengal and others
Mr. Shamik Chatterjee,
Mr. Aditya Bikram Mahata,
Ms. Sahil Kabir
.... for the petitioner
Ms. Mousumi Banerjee
.... for the State
Mr. Tarun Kumar Ghosh,
Ms. Suvasree Ghose
.... for the WBSEDCL
1.The petitioner says that the petitioner is a whistleblower. When he lodged a complaint regarding certain unlawful activities going on in the locality, he was ostracized and victimized by other people in the neighbourhood. The petitioner had to approach this court and a coordinate Bench directed police help to the petitioner in that regard.
2. Be that as it may, the petitioner's electricity connection was severed. When the petitioner enquired into the matter, he found out that a substantial length of the cable providing electricity connection to the petitioner's property had been stolen and sabotaged. As such, the 2 petitioner applied for restoration of his electricity connection which has not yet been given by the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL).
3. Learned counsel for the WBSEDCL argues that in view of the acts of miscreants in the locality, substantial portion of the cables have been stolen. Due to non-availability of such materials, the connection could not be given to the petitioner. However, the petitioner has applied for restoration of electricity connection long back, that is, on November 28, 2023 and in view of the right of the petitioner under Section 43 of the Electricity Act, 2003, it was the incumbent-duty of the Distribution Licensee to repair its transmission line and to give electricity connection to the petitioner.
4. Hence, the WBSEDCL is directed to carry out the necessary repairs for the purpose of restoring the electricity line of the petitioner and restore such line.
5. Such entire exercise shall be concluded as expeditiously as possible, positively by February 08, 2024.
6. The matter shall be placed for hearing under the same heading in the list on February 12, 2024 3 when the WBSEDCL shall file a brief report with an advance copy to the learned Advocate for the petitioner as to compliance of the above direction.
7. The parties shall comply on the basis of server copy of this order.
(Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, J.)