Fixation of liability upon the petitioner in connection with the minimum guarantee agreement executed with the petitioner in favour of the Electricity Board, is under challenge in this writ petition.
2. The proceedings of the Board were taken up before the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum, which led to Ext.P1 order dated 14.05.2013. The petitioner took up the matter further by filing Ext.P3 appeal before the Electricity Ombudsman, who considered the entire facts and circumstances and passed Ext.P4 order on 21.04.2014, whereby the liability was substantially scaled down. After giving credit to the amount of `2,15,372/- with such other charges as mentioned therein, the due amount was permitted to be cleared by way of 25 equal monthly instalments, making it clear that, no interest needs to be paid for the arrears.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that, pursuant to Ext.P4, the petitioner have been served with a bill WP(c). No. 26543 of 2014 -2-
bearing No.LA.VI/LG/4104/2014 dated 25.07.2014, showing the total outstanding liability as `1,50,578/- after giving credit to the subsequent remittances made by the petitioner. It is stated that, the petitioner is ready to satisfy the liability by way of instalments as already ordered by the Ombudsman vide Ext.P4 and the prayer is only to extend the time for effecting the first instalment.
4. Under the above mentioned circumstances, the petitioner is permitted to satisfy the overdue instalments with respect to August 2014, September 2014 & October 2014, within 'two weeks', subject to which coercive proceedings shall be kept in abeyance and the petitioner will continue to enjoy the benefit of instalment already ordered by the Ombudsman vide Ext.P4. The subsequent instalments due on or before 8th of the succeeding months, shall be effected till the entire outstanding liability is cleared, besides satisfying the regular monthly charges as well.
Writ petition is disposed of.
Sd/-
P.R. RAMACHANDRA MENON, JUDGE.
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