A serious lapse by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has come to light in Nainital district, where electricity bills continued to be issued for nearly ten years despite the connection having been permanently disconnected. The matter surfaced only after recovery proceedings were initiated through the revenue department, forcing the consumer to seek legal redress.
The affected consumer, Vimal Chandra Lohani, who works in SIDCUL Rudrapur, belongs to Dholi village in Dhari tehsil of Nainital district. His electricity connection at the ancestral house was permanently disconnected on August 8, 2016, after he completed all formalities and cleared outstanding dues with UPCL. However, due to negligence at the departmental level, the connection remained active in official records, and bills continued to be generated.
The issue came to light on November 14, when the Dhari tehsil informed Lohani that a recovery certificate (RC) had been issued against him for an electricity bill amounting to Rs 8,500, along with an additional 10 percent to be deposited with the tehsil. Shocked by the notice, Lohani approached the Electricity Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum at the Hydel premises in Kathgodam.
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After hearing the case, the forum, comprising judicial member Vishnu Prasad Dobhal, technical member Tilakraj Bhatt, and consumer member Himanshu Bahuguna, ruled in favour of the consumer on December 9. Acting on the forum’s directions, UPCL Bhimtal division subsequently cancelled the disputed electricity bill, providing relief to the consumer.
