First of all I want to inform that am retired central government employee (retired on 31st Oct.,2011) from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi. Having worked for 35 years in the same ministry. I reside in this Sadiq Nagar flat with my husband who also worked with a Govt. of India Undertaking for 34 years and my son who is a software engineer himself. I wish to submit a complaint against BSES who has harassed us and accused for tempering of electricity meter, theft of electricity and consuming more energy than allotted. To begin with, a team comprising of 7-8 members from enforcement cell visited our home on 2.11. 2012 for the inspection of meter installed in the open (without any lock) downstairs and informed us about the improper functioning of meter. Upon inspecting the meter, they also concluded that the meter was not in a normal state and therefore, needed to be sent to the laboratory for the further investigation. We took this visit of BSES team casually thinking that it might be a normal routine case of the meter not functioning properly. But it left my entire family shocked when after several days of the team’s visit we received a show cause notice from the BSES Enforcement Cell accusing us of tempering of electricity and theft of electricity and asking us to appear for a hearing in the BSES office, Andrews Ganj on 11.12.2012. This letter was a shocker for my entire family, but we decided to fight against all the odds and appeared for the hearing held on 11 December, 2012 which was conducted by Mr. Sukhpreet Singh Pannu, Assessing Officer. In the hearing, we also submitted a written reply dated 11.12.2012 including all the evidence like the record of the regular payments paid to the BSES in the last many years (which also include the monthly paid bills of 5000 and 6000), installment of the meter in the open downstairs without any lock and not in our home, paying the up to date bills till September, 2012, the OK status of meter till September, 2012, running only the electrical appliances that every normal household uses and so on. During the hearing, we were assured that the further investigation will take place and right measures will be taken. Without going through our submissions in the personal hearing and the points raised in our written reply on 11.12.2012, we were taken aback when we received the final decision of the hearing after a few days accusing us of tempering of electricity meter, theft of electricity and consuming more energy than allotted. In the letter, the BSES has demanded a penalty of about Rs.53000/- by 4.1.2013 and have also warned us of the FIR in the police in case of non-payment in time. This is completely absurd. Yes, we agree with the laboratory report that the meter might have been tempered. But just because the meter belongs to us (the meter is not installed in our home and therefore is not our custody), we senior citizens, responsible government employees with clean track.
Our normal lives are disrupted by these sudden allegations of the BSES against us. The charges framed by the BSES are unilateral in nature and have hurt our sentiments and humiliated us. BSES is harassing us again and again by demanding a penalty of Rs.53000/- and threatening of lodging FIR in case of non-payment by 4.1.2013 without any conclusive evidence. BSES is trying to malign the image of the two senior citizens who are highly educated and have been government employees at respectable positions for years. The BSES judgments have left us disgusted and in immense pain. The BSES is trying to question our integrity and our respect in the society is at stake.
Complainant Information
name- kd1951 e-mail dhawankamlesh @ yahoo