Amnesty scheme to settle cases of tampered meters:Govt

New Delhi, May 3 (UNI) The Delhi government today announced an amnesty scheme for domestic and commercial consumers to enable them to settle their cases of alleged 'tampered' meters without much harassment.

Power Minister A K Walia said the scheme to remain effective for a period of one month, would be launched with effect from May 12.

He said consumers who wanted to change their suspected tampered meters or move to electronic meters, would benefit from the scheme.

He said consumers would not be charged any penalty by DISCOMS and no case would be registered in special electricity courts in case of those, who came forward to avail the amnesty scheme.

Only those consumers who had made up-to-date payment of their electricity bills would be eligible to avail the scheme, Mr Walia added.

The DISCOMS will install new electronic meters in respect of those consumers who are having electronic meters either tampered/suspected tampered, by paying the cost of new electronic meter plus amount equivalent to aggregate of three recent monthly bills as per meter reading from the tampered meter.

The scheme also offers an opportunity to the consumers putting up in JJ clusters and colonies and presently paying monthly fixed charges.

The consumers who will apply for new metered connection in place of un-metered connection with fixed monthly charges would be provided with new metered connection without charging any penalty or electricity charges for the use of electricity during the past.

On voluntary disclosure of direct theft of electricity in JJ clusters and colonies, the DISCOMS shall not proceed against these consumers if they apply for a new connection, Mr Walia, said encouraging people to apply for new connection without any inhibition.

''The scheme will be applicable to consumers of all categories for theft cases already booked for direct theft and not settled/disposed off till date. The DISCOMS will settle and close the cases by offering rebate of 60 per cent to domestic consumers and 50 per cent to industrial and commercial consumers on the assessment bill raised in such cases,'' the Minister said in a statement here.

All late payment surcharge would also be waived off. On receipt of payment and after issue of NOC both DISCOMS and the consumer would withdraw the cases if proceedings were pending in any Court. The cases already settled/decided would not be reopened, he said.

Dr Walia expressed confidence that new amnesty scheme would ensure billing discipline and bring more&more consumers under justified billing system.

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