Claim of being unreasonably booked in a criminal case by NDPL for tampering with the electric meter which has not yet been replaced - Respondent: they have no control over NDPL & the DERC controls it - CIC recommended to initiate action against the NDPL
22 Mar, 2014FACTS
The appellant Mr. Gurdip Singh is present. The public authority is represented by Mr. Madhu Sudan, Dy. Secretary (Power) and Mr. Lakshmi Chand, PIO and Mr. RS Chauhan, A.G.III, Deptt. Of Power.
2. The appellant is seeking information about the action taken on the letter dated 1772012 addressed to Principal Secretary (Power), Department of Power, GNCTD which as per the appellant relates to his being unreasonably booked in a criminal case by the NDPL for no fault of him on the ground that he had tampered with the current meter in his premises and the said meter has not yet been replaced till now. As per the appellant, according to rules and procedure, the department has to seize the meter and send it to the designated laboratory. But the appellant found out from the department that there is no designated laboratory for the testing of the faulty meter.
3. The respondent, with respect to the grievance of the appellant in his letter dated 17072012, submitted that they have no control over NDPL and that it is the DERC which is controlling it. The Commission did not agree with the contention of the respondent that the Department of Power has no control over NDPL.
3. The Commission, therefore, recommends to the public authority to initiate action against the NDPL for wrongly implicating the appellant and conduct an enquiry into why such a false case has been imposed on the appellant and if the appellant is found not guilty, what is the compensation they are contemplating to provide to the appellant, for subjecting the appellant to such kind of harassment and also provide the report of the same to the appellant which forms the basis of the information sought by the appellant. It is the duty of the CPIO to share the information with the appellant as to why the faulty meter was not replaced till now. The Commission, therefore, directs the CPIO to collect all this information from the available source and supply the same to the appellant within one month from the date of receipt of this order.
4. The Appeal is disposed of accordingly.
(M.Sridhar Acharyulu)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Sh.Gurdip Singh v. Deptt.of Power, Delhi in File No.CIC/AD/A/2012/003758SA