New Delhi The New Delhi Municipal Council had to refund Rs 4, 68,943 to a consumer recently after a public hearing found the civic body charging abnormally high amount from the consumer for augmentation of electrical load. 

Last year, the consumer Nirmal Kapur, a resident of Chanakyapuri, approached the NDMC for augmentation of electrical load to 51.5 KWs for her premises. NDMC asked the consumer to deposit Rs 5.6 lakh for the same. After depositing the huge sum, the consumer approached the Public Grievance Cell and registered a grievance (vide no.665 FKR) in December. 

The cell found that the estimate given by NDMC was not in tune with the guidelines of the Delhi Electricity Regulation Council (DERC) Supply Code Performance and Standards Regulations, 2007. The case was taken for public hearing by the Chairman of Public Grievance Cell Justice R C Chopra. 

Initially, NDMC said that the DERC Supply Code Performance and Standards Regulations, 2007, did not apply to the body, but a DERC confirmation suggested the contrary. 

Following this six public hearings were held from between February and August in the case. 

During the hearings NDMC accepted that its estimate of charges was high and included components cost of which is not required to be borne by the consumer as per the DERC’s regulations. 

On the last hearing of the case in August, NDMC officials brought a cheque of Rs 4,68,943 as refund payable to the consumer in compliance of the directions of the public hearings. 

“Mrs Kapur paid the amount to NDMC but she thought it was too high and so she approached us. After the hearings we found that the money charged was too high and so we asked NDMC to refund the consumer,” said Justice R C Chopra.