The state government has issued new directives to test load found more than the approved load in the permanent agriculture pump connections. The state government has received complaints in many cases for excess billing and for increase in combined load of the consumers without any proper investigation.
According to the new directives, in case of complaint of the consumer for excess billing more than the pump capacity, the competent officer of the distribution company will test the load and verify it in presence of the consumer. Such connections in which the load is found less than the approved load after the technical testing than the decision to decrease the approved load will be taken by the in-charge of the distribution center.
It will be ensured also that a test report will be kept in the record after calculating the pump’s capacity by standard equipments in the presence of the farmer or his representative. The decision to increase the approved load will be taken by the Executive Engineer or High level Officer. Moreover, it has also been asked to ensure that test report will be kept in the record in the presence of the farmer or his representative after calculating the capacity of the pump by standard equipments.
After the test related activities, in case of excess load found during the testing, the notice in the prescribed format should be sent to the concerned consumer within a weeks’ time. If objection of any kind is filed with the week’s time by the consumer than assuming excess load than the approved load, second notice should be sent to the consumer for the new agreement. In case of objection filed by the consumer, instructions have been issued by the regulatory authority for load testing for providing electricity line for the purpose of electricity supply for reassessment of pump capacity or on depositing required amount by the consumer for used apparatus within the prescribed time and date I n presence of the consumer. Besides, directives have been given for billing on the basis of verification.
In case of dissatisfaction of the distribution company regarding pump capacity, it has been told to ensure billing by considering the test carried out at the government engineering college as final according to the provisions of electricity supply law. Besides, it has been asked to ensure that procedure according to the new directives should be followed by the personnel of the power distribution company during the routine checking.