Legal literacy to include power woes

Amaravati: In a unique and significant step for the protection of electricity consumers’ rights, the Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority for which the Acting Chief Justice is the Patron-in-Chief and Executive Chairman, has accepted the request of Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) to permit the Legal Services Authorities and Mandal Legal Services Committees to associate with persons/officers from the electricity sector in the legal literacy programmes being organised by the Legal Services Authorities at different levels.

While thanking the Acting Chief Justice for his unstinted support for the electricity consumers to keep them aware of their rights and obligations or the manner of protecting their legitimate interests through appropriate administrative or statutory procedures in power sector, Justice G Bhavani Prasad, the Chairman of APERC, said that legal knowledge over procedures of power sector is a weapon in the hands of consumers.

Now consumers can raise their apprehensions on several issues like rectification of DTRs, correction of erring electricity bills, support of utilities in any electrical hazards, payment of compensation for laying of transmission and distribution lines and implementation of Citizen Charter.

As part of this major initiative, several legal literacy programmes to create awareness about the electricity laws, rules, regulations and rights and obligations of the consumers are to be conducted and the Legal Services Authority has been requested to issue instructions to all the District Legal Services Authorities in this regard, he said.

The APERC Chairman along with members of APERC P Ramamohan and P Raghu, discussed the initiative with Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary Energy I&I, CRDA Department, K Vijayanand, CMD/ APTRANSCO and MD/APGENCO, K Ranganatham, Advisor, Energy I&I Dept, M M Nayak, CMD/APEPDCL, H Y Dora, CMD/APSPDCL, Rahul Pandey, Special Secretary, Energy Department, Dinesh Paruchuri and Umapathi, JMDs of APTRANSCO and directed the utilities to issue detailed instructions to all the concerned in the power sector to ensure wide participation by the officers of all levels of power utilities in the State, including the lineman, in such legal literacy programmes.

The Nodal Officers of the licensees are also made responsible and monthly reports are directed to be submitted to the State Commission.

The spread of such awareness in the State will effectively protect the rights and interests of the consumers and ensure transparency and accountability in the power sector, said Chairman.