The Arunachal Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (APSERC) on April 30, 2024, issued the Arunachal Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (consumer grievances redressal forum and ombudsman regulations), Regulations, 2024 (2nd Amendment) Regulations, 2024.
The following amendments have been stated:
• Amendment of Regulation 5 of Principal Regulation shall be substituted as under:
“Clause 5. Establishment of Forum. -
(1) Every distribution licensee shall, within six months, from the grant of licence, establish, in its area of supply, under sub-section (5) of Section 42 of the Act, a Forum for Redressal of Grievances of the consumers, in accordance with the guidelines contained in these Regulations:
Provided that the distribution licensee may, by order, after considering factors such as the number of representations received, disposal of representation within the specified time limit, ease of access for the consumer and the geographical area, establish more than one Forum in its area of supply and in that event, each such Forum shall have the jurisdiction as the distribution licensee, out of its total area of supply, define the territorial jurisdiction of each Forum in such order.
(2) Every distribution licensee has to constitute three tier consumer Grievances Redressal forum, namely:
(a) 1st tier shall be at the Sub-Division level headed by an executive not below the rank of Assistant Engineer or equivalent.
(b) 2nd tier shall be at Circle level headed by an executive not below the rank of Superintending Engineer or equivalent.
(c) 3rd tier shall be at headquarters level headed by an Executive not below the rank of Chief Engineer or equivalent.
(3) In order to ensure that all grievances are disposed of within the specified time limit the Commission may, from time to time, direct the licensee to increase the number of Forums.”
• Amendment of Regulation 13 of Principal Regulation: clause (b) shall be substituted as under:
“Clause 13 (b) in case of the independent member the sitting fee/ honorarium for such Independent Member of all the tiers under clause (ii) of sub-regulation (1) of regulation 7 shall be:
(a) 1000 (Rupees one thousand) only for each day of sitting to the independent Member of 1st tier.
(b) 2000 (Rupees two thousand) only for each day of sitting to the independent Member of 2nd tier.
(c) 3000 (Rupees three thousand) only for each day of sitting to the independent Member of 3rd tier.
Provided the sitting fee/ honorarium for such Independent Member may be changed/modified by the Commission from time to time and shall be borne by the licensee.”
These regulations shall come into force from April 30, 2024.
[Notification No. APSERC/NOTIFICATION/40/2024]
