CUTTACK: A Division Bench of the Orissa High Court has adjourned till July 4 hearing on the petition filed by the State Government..
CUTTACK: A Division Bench of the Orissa High Court has adjourned till July 4 hearing on the petition filed by the State Government seeking vacation of the interim order earlier passed in the electricity tariff hike case.
The interim order, which had stayed collection of electricity bill at the increased rate, has been modified to the extent that it shall continue for the domestic consumer while for rest of the consumers, the supply agency shall give two bills one on old rate and another on new rate.The excess amount collected on the basis of new tariff shall be adjusted towards electricity charges if the petitioners get a favourable verdict. In its petition, the State has stated that in case the interim order of stay is not vacated it would be burdened with more liability as it has already undertaken in the review petition to make good the loss.
The Bench of Justices BP Das and BK Mishra was hearing the PIL writ petition, challenging the hike in electricity tariff by Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), filed by Keonjhar Naba Nirman Parishad through its secretary Dillip Kumar Mohapatra. The petitioner in the PIL had mainly challenged the hike in electricity tariff for domestic consumers whereas in other three writ petitions, the companies have challenged the hike in commercial tariff. The petitioners alleged that the order of OERC directing hike of electricity charges was illegal and without giving proper opportunity of hearing to the consumers. The counsels appearing for Gridco, Cesu and OERC raised the question of maintainability of the writ petitions and stated that the petitioners had no locus standi to challenge the order passed by the OERC.Original news source
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