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In the references 2nd and 3rd read above, Government of Telangana in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, read with all other enabling provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has notified lockdown In the entire State of Telangana till 31st March, 2020. Subsequently, vide references 4th to 6th read above, the lockdown period has been extended upto 07-05-2020 for containment of COViD-19epidemic in the State.

2. Government of Telangana has issued orders for closure of all shops, commercial establishments, offices, factories, workshops, godowns pertaining to non- essential commodities in view of social distancing for containment of the pandemic C0VID-19.

4. The requests of the Industry Associations were discussed in the cabinet meeting held on 19-04-2020. After detailed discussions, Government hereby decides to extend the following relief measures to the Industries in Telangana:

"Electricity Bills during the lockdown period will be collected as per actual consumption only and the fixed charges for the same period shall be deferred till 31.05.2020 without any penalty and Interest. Further, those industries which pay the bills within due date shall get 1 percent rebate of billed amount".
//FORWARDED :: BY ORDER//
25. The aforesaid executive instructions makes it very clear that after discussions with the industry associations, it was resolved to collect electricity bills for the lockdown period as per the actual consumption only and the payment of fixed charges for the same period, have been deferred till 31.05.2020 without any penalty and interest.

It was also resolved to grant 1% rebate in respect of the bill amount to those industries which pay the bills within due date. Meaning thereby, keeping in view the genuine hardship, concession has already been granted to the writ petitioners by the State Government.

29. In nutshell, the writ petitioners before the learned Single Judge contended that on account of force majeure situation created by Covid-19 lockdown imposed by the Government of India in March, 2020, the maximum demand charges by TSSPDCL are arbitrary, unjust and the same should be recovered on equitable and pro-rata basis in respect of lockdown period. It was also contended that since the writ petitioners were compelled to close down the industries/commercial establishments, the TSSPDCL is not entitled to collect maximum charges under the GTCS and ought to have considered the working and non- working period of the writ petitioners and billed accordingly on pro-rata basis. The learned Single Judge has allowed the writ petitions. The learned Single Judge held that Covid-19 has been recognised by the Government of India as force majeure vide its Office Memorandum dated 19.02.2020 and accordingly Section 56 of the Contract Act would apply to the case on hand. As already stated earlier, the learned Single Judge has also placed heavy reliance upon the Judgment delivered by the Madras High Court in (2019) 3 SCC 352 the case of South India Spinners Association (supra), wherein in similar circumstances, the Madras High Court held that the levy of maximum charges by the TANGEDCO was illegal.