MUMBAI, May 12: The deputy chief engineer (technical) of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has waived amended electricity bills worth Rs 2.28 crore. The bills were amended after BEST's security, vigilance and consumers' departments came across cases wherein residential connections were being used for industrial purposes.

Criticing the waiver, BMC's chief auditor P C Pisolkar wrote in a confidential letter to BEST general manager V M Lal: ``The move will not only allow the defaulting consumers to escape penalty, but also encourage them to indulge in such malpractices.''

Sources said the order amounted to violation of condition 22 (B) (C) of the Conditions and Miscellaneous Charges for the Supply of Electric Energy. They added that the BEST committee should have been consulted before it was passed.

Most of the amended bills were challenged by the consumers on the ground that commercial rates should not be applied to those running cottage industries, which do not require consumption of very large amount of electricity.

Following this, the deputy general manager (supply) had issued directives in February 1996 regarding the tariff to be applied for residential electric connections used for other purposes. However, instead of following the directive, the DCET issued an office order (No DCET/Consumer/125/97) dated March 31, 1997, and fixed an upward ceiling of 500 units on average monthly consumption. Consequently, the consumer departments of the BEST north zone and south zone, which had worked out amended claims to the tune of Rs 2,04,54,000 and Rs 24,09,000 respectively, were asked to drop the same.

Pisolkar has also questioned the DCET's authority to independently decide on the waiver of claims ``involving a sizeable amount of Rs 2.28 crore already preferred to the consumers.''

He termed the upward limit of 500 units fixed for domestic connections as unrealistic and arbitrary.

``Monthly average consumption upto 500 units is itself indicative of the fact that electricity has been consumed for purposes other than residential. "Normally, residential consumers on an average use only 175 to 200 units. Consumption above this clearly indicates that power is not just being used for residential purposes,'' Pisolkar pointed out.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.