The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Display consumer rights statement prominently: SAC

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Other States

Other States - Orissa

Display consumer rights statement prominently: SAC

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: State Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) said consumer rights statement should be prominently displayed in all offices and bill collection centres of the utilities.

At the sixth meeting of SAC, of the members suggested that a monthly interaction between utility representatives and consumer groups should be held to sort out various issues.

They said there should be free distribution of booklets on consumer rights among all consumers. There are about 26 lakh electricity consumers in the State. Moreover, SAC said utilities should publish list of defaulters in their websites or section offices so that the latter were pressurised to pay up and on their part utilities should come out with their annual financial statement on websites for public information.

In an important development SAC members demanded that utilities should be brought under scope of Right To Information Act. At present distribution companies say they do not come under purview of the revolutionary Act. The matter is now subjudice while companies have been objecting their inclusion under RTI Act. “Consumers have a role to play in ensuring quality supply. About Rs. 250 crore is being added to the arrear dues every year in the form of bad debts and the utilities should take all steps to reconcile these figures so that settlement can be made,” they said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States