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CONSUMER RIGHTS STATEMENT

A. RIGHT TO INFORMATION
B. RIGHT TO STANDARD PERFORMANCE
C. RIGHT TO SEEK REDRESSAL
D. RIGHT TO CONSUMER EDUCATION

A. RIGHT TO INFORMATION

i. Entry into consumer's premises

Consumer have a right to be informed prior to the entry into their premises by the licensee for any prescribed purpose.

ii. Notice of outages

The licensee shall provide not less than twenty four hours notice prior to an outage exceeding thirty minutes scheduled for the purpose of testing or any other purpose connected with the efficient working of the system.

iii. Information prior to the disconnection and procedure of reconnection

The licensee must follow the Regulation on Consumers' Rights to Information [OERC ( Consumer Right to Information and Standards of Performance ) Regulations, 1998 ]. The consumer shall be provided with prescribed minimum period of notice before disconnection.

Before disconnecting the service, the licensee's employee performing the disconnection must inform an adult residing in the premises. If the proof of full payment is produced to the satisfaction of licensee's employee deputed for disconnection, he shall not disconnect it. If there is no adult, the employee shall deliver a note which contains information as to reason for disconnection and how reconnection can be obtained.

The licensee is exempted from the notice requirements of the above Regulation only in cases where consumer's installation poses a danger to the health or safety of the consumers or licensee's employees or the public.

The licensee will restore service promptly when the cause of the disconnection has been removed by the consumers.

iv. Intimation for Reclassification of Consumers

  1. In case the licensee intends to reclassify any consumer in terms of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 1998 or otherwise it has to notify the consumer accordingly and has to specifically inform, if a fresh agreement needs to be executed in consequence of such reclassification.

  2. The notice shall state that the licensee may disconnect the supply of power if the consumer does not take the required steps as prescribed under Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission Distribution (Conditions of Supply) Code, 1998.

v. Notice Procedure

All notice for disconnection shall be in writing. Notice for scheduled outages may be through publication in newspaper/public address system/electronic media/telephone. Service of notice to individual consumers shall be governed be Regulation 112 of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission Distribution ( Conditions of Supply ) Code, 1998.

vi. Tariff

Consumers have a right to obtain copy of Tariff schedule on payment of charges. A copy of the said schedule shall be prominently displayed in all offices of the licensee dealing with the commercial aspects.

B. RIGHT TO STANDARD PERFORMANCE

i) The Licensee is required to maintain minimum standard of performance in case of ;

  1. restoration of power supply

  2. quality of power supply

  3. period of scheduled outages

  4. complaint on meter

  5. application for new connection

  6. complaint on consumer bills

in the manner prescribed in the Part II of OERC ( Consumer Right to Information and Standards of Performance ) Regulations, 1998.

C. RIGHT TO SEEK REDRESSAL

i) Complaint Handling Procedure

The licensee has to follow consistently its own "Complaint Handling Procedure" approved by the Commission for proper and effective redressal of consumer grievances.

D. RIGHT TO CONSUMER EDUCATION

  1. The licensee shall make a copy of "Consumer Rights Statement", "Code of practice on Payment of Bills", "Complaint Handling Procedure", "Copy of the Tariff Schedule" ( both in English and Oriya language) as revised from time to time, available for inspection by members of the public during normal working hours at his Head Office, Divisional Offices, Sub-Divisional and Section Offices.

  2. The licensee shall provide a copy of "Consumer Rights Statement", "Code of practice on Payment of Bills", "Complaint Handling Procedure", "Copy of the Tariff Schedule" ( both in English and Oriya language) as revised from time to time,to any person who requests it on payment of reasonable charge and to each new consumer free of charge.

  3. The licensee shall display a copy of "Consumer Rights Statement" ( both in English and Oriya language) in a conspicuous place of each Bill Collection Centre.

  4. The licensee shall publish the "Consumer Rights Statement" in Oriya language atleast in one Oriya daily newspaper and in English language  in one English daily newspaper having wide circulation in the licensee's area of supply.

Prepared and submitted by Licensee under License condition No. 18.3 of Orissa Distribution and Retail Supply License (*..............) and approved by  Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission vide its letter No. OERC/Engg/59/99/124 dt. 18.01.2000.

[NB:-
*1. Respective Licensees are required to put their Licence number in the gap in the last para of this page above.
2. Wherever the word "The Licensee" is there, it has to be replaced with the name of the respective Licensee].