ANNEXURE - I

List of stakeholders who have responded in writing to the

KERC (Licensees' Standards of Performance) Regulations 2004

No. Name of the person/Organisation

1 Bangalore Electricity Supply Company
2 Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company
3 Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited
4 Central Electricity Authority, Government of India
5 Government of Karnataka
6 Consumers Forum, Sagar
7 Indian Red Cross Society
8 Consumer Education and Research Society, Ahmedabad
9 Mysore Grahakara Parishat
10 Citizens' Forum, Hubli
11 Electricity Consumers Association, Bagalkot
12 G.Sumithra

List of participants in the meeting held on 6th February 2004, organised by the
Office of Consumer Advocacy, KERC

1 G.G.Hegde Kadekodi, Balakedarara Hithrakshaka Sangha, Sirsi

2 Shivanand Jenny, Consumers' Forum, Sagar
3 M.I.Balabatti, Electricity Consumers Association, Bagalkot
4 S.Krishnamurthy, Ahkila Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, Bangalore
5 Y.V.Ashwathnarayana, Consumer Care Society, Bangalore
6 K.M.S.Chandrashekariah, Consumers' Forum, Shimoga
7 B.V.Gopalakrishna, Consumers' Forum, Shimoga
8 G.C.Byyareddy, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha, Bangalore
9 S.Munegowda, Member KERC Advisory Committee
10 Raghavendra Raju, Member KERC Advisory Committee
11 C.R.Aswathanarayana, Karnataka State Federation of Consumer
Organisations
12 V.K.Somasekhar, Grahak Shakti, Bangalore
13 K.N.Venkatgirirao, Member, KERC Advisory Committee
14 M.M.Jayaswamy, Consumers' Forum, Shiralakoppa
REGULATIONS RELATING TO COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURE

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission

BANGALORE - 560 001
Notification No.W/03/01 dated 24.05.2004
(Notified in Karnataka Gazette on 10.06.2004, page nos.1025 - 1030

In exercise of powers under Sub-Section (2) (zp) of Section 181 of the

Electricity Act 2003 (Act 36 of 2003) and all powers enabling it in that behalf, the
Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission hereby makes the following
Regulations namely

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission [Consumer Complaints

Handling Procedure] Regulations 2004

1. Short title, Commencement and Application:

a These Regulations may be called the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory

Commission (Consumer Complaints Handling Procedure) Regulations
2004.

b. These Regulations shall be applicable to all Licensees engaged in

distribution of electricity in the State of Karnataka

c. These Regulations extend to the whole of the State of Karnataka

d. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in Karnataka
Gazette.

2. Definitions:

2.1 In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:-

(a) 'Act' means the Electricity Act 2003

(b) 'area of supply' means the area within which a licensee is
authorized by the licensce to supply electricity

(c) 'Commission' means the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory

Commission

(d) 'Complaint' means any grievance made by a consumer with regard

to supply of electricity by the licensee, provided that, grievance
 falling within the purview of any of the following provisions of the Act
are excluded:

(i) unauthorised use of electricity as provided under section 126 of the

Act

(ii) offences and penalties as provided under section 135 to 139 of the
Act

iii) accident in the distribution, supply or use of electricity as provided

under section 161 of the Act

(e) 'Consumer' means any person who is supplied with electricity or

his own use by a licensee or the Government or by any other
person engaged in the business of supplying electricity to the public
under this Act or any other law for the time being in force and
includes any person whose premises are for the time being
connected for the purpose of receiving electricity with the works of a
licensee, the Government or such other person as the case may be.

(f) 'Designated Offices' means the local office of the licensee where
the consumer has to lodge his complaint at the first instance

2.2. Words or expressions used and not defined in these Regulations shall
bear the same meaning as in the Karnataka Electricity Reform Act, 1999 and the
Electricity Act 2003, or in absence thereof, the meaning as understood in the
electricity supply industry. In case of inconsistencies the meaning assigned to in
the Act shall prevail.

3. Nature of Complaints:

The consumer complaints are categorized as below:

 Interruption/Failure of power supply

 Voltage variations
 Load Shedding/Scheduled outage
 Metering complaints
 Billing complaints
 Disconnection and Reconnection complaints
 Additional Load
 Any other complaint specifically covered in Annexure I

4. Obligation of the Licensee:

 It shall be the obligation of the Licensee to comply with these Regulations
as a condition of license as specified in the Conditions of License.

5 Procedure for lodging complaints:

The Licensee shall maintain a Register to enable consumers for lodging

complaints at each of the designated Office, including the Lineman camps in the
villages.

The consumers shall lodge the complaints at the respective designated

office of the licensee corresponding to the nature of the complaint giving details
as indicated in Form-A to these Regulations

The consumer shall indicate in his complaint the name, address, RR

Number of the installation, along with the brief description of the grievance.
The complaint can be lodged either in writing or over telephone or email
wherever available.

6. Licensee to attend to the complaints

The primary responsibility centre shall register the complaint and intimate
a complaint number to the consumer. The Licensee shall arrange for attending to
the complaint within the time limit indicated in Annexure-I to these Regulations.

7. Licencee to give publicity:

The Licencee shall give wide publicity about the Complaints' Handling
Procedures by periodical press release, notifications and such other means to
make the public aware of the Licencees' Complaints Handling Procedure.

8. Procedure in case of non-response:

In the event of non-response or inadequate response by the designated

office of the Licensee within the time limit prescribed for rendering the service,
the consumer may lodge the complaint with the next higher authority, which is
also indicated in Annexure-I to these Regulations. The Proforma for lodging
complaint with the next higher authority is in Form-A

The Licensee shall make available free of cost, the prescribed format as
per Form-A, attached to these Regulations, for the purpose of lodging the
complaint. The receipt of the complaint should be registered by the next higher
authority, who shall resolve the complaint within the time limit as indicated in
Annexure-I to these Regulations, on receipt of the complaint at his office.
 In the event of non-response or inadequate response by the next higher
authority of the licensee, the complainant may approach the Consumer
Grievance Redressal Forum established by the Licensee.

9. Exemption

The KERC Consumer Complaints Handling Procedure 2004 shall be kept

in abeyance by the Commission during Force-Majeure conditions such as war,
mutiny, Civil commotion, riot, flood, cyclone, lightning, earth -quake or other force
or cause beyond the control of the Licensee and strike, lock-out, fire affecting the
Licensee's installations and activities.

10. Issue of orders and practice directions

Subject to the provisions of the Act 2003 and these Regulations, the
Commission may, from time to time, issue orders and practice directions
regarding implementation of these Regulations.

11. Powers to remove difficulties

a. If any difficulty arises in giving effect to any of the provisions of these

Regulations, the Commission may, by general or special order, direct the
Licensee to take suitable action not being inconsistent with the Act, which
appears to it to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of removing the
difficulties.

b. The Licensee may make an application to the Commission and seek

suitable orders to remove any difficulty that may arise in implementation of these
Regulations.

12. Savings and Repeal

a. Nothing in these Regulations shall affect the rights and privileges of the
consumers under any law for the time being in force including the Consumer
Protection Act, 1986 (Act 68 of 1986)

b. The KERC Complaint Handling and Redressal Standards relating to

Distribution and Supply of Power (Standards of Performance) issued by KERC
vide reference No.C/02/1/1467 dated 29th August 2001 is repealed.
 By the Order of the Commission

Secretary

Annexure - I

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission [Consumer Complaints

Handling Procedure] Regulations 2004

Nature of Service Standard Primary Next Higher

(Indicative responsibility centres Authority
Maximum time where to lodge
limit for complaint
rendering
service)
1. Normal Fuse-
off Central Consumer AEE (E1)
a) Cities and Within 6 hours Complaints Division of the Sub-
Towns (CCCD) Service Division
b) Rural areas Within 24 hours Station of the Sub-
Division
AE/JE (O&M)/Section
Officer/Line Man in
Lineman camp
2.Line
Breakdowns
a) Cities and Within 6 hours CCCD/Service station AEE (E1)
Towns (10 hrs if poles of the Sub- of the Sub-
are broken down) Division/AE(O&M)/JE Division
Within 24 hours (O&M)/Section
b) Rural areas in all cases Officer/Lineman in
Lineman camp
3. Distribution
Transformer
Failure
a) Cities and Within 24 hours CCCD/Service station AEE (E1)
Towns of the Sub- of the Sub-
b) Rural areas Within 72 hours Division/AE(O&M)/JE Division
(O&M)/Section
Officer/Lineman in
Lineman camp
5. Voltage
Variations
a) Where no Within 7 days CCCD/Service station AEE (E1)
expansion or of the Sub- of the Sub-
enhancement Division/AE(O&M)/JE Division
of network is (O&M)/Section
involved Officer/Lineman in
Lineman camp

b) Where up- Within 120 days - do - - do -

gradation of
distribution
system is
required

c) Opening of Within 1 hour - do - - do -

neutral
6. Meter
Complaints
a) Inspect and Within 7 days AE ()&M)/JE (O&M)/ AEE (EI) of the
check Soujanya counter of Sub-Division
correctness the Sub-Division/
Section Officer

b) Replace slow, Within 10 days - do - - do -

creeping or
stuck meters

c) Replace burnt Within 7 days of - do - - do -

meters if cause receipt of
not complaint
attributable to
consumer

d) Replace Within 24 hours - do - - do -

burnt meters of payment of
in all other charges by
cases consumer
7. Application for
additional load

a) Release of Within one month AEE(E)/AE(T) of the EE (El) of the

supply where of receipt of sub-division Division
service is application.
feasible from (as per section
existing 43 of Act)
network.
 As specified by
b) Release of the Commission AEE(E)/AE(T) of the EE (El) of the
supply where in KERC (Duty of sub-division Division
Network the Licensee to
expansion/ Supply Electricity
enhancement on request)
required for Regulations
providing 2004.
connection
Within 30 days
after attaining
c) IP sets seniority (The AEE(E)/AE(T) of the EE (El) of the
number of new sub-division Division
connections shall
be limited to the
target fixed by
the Government
for the year)

8. Transfer of
ownership and
Conversion Within 7 days of AEE(E)/AE(T) of the EE (El) of the
a) Title transfer of receipt of sub-division Division
ownership application

b) Change of
category - do - - do - - do -

9. Conversion of Within 30 days AEE (E) of the Sub- EE(E) of the

LT single phase from the date of division Division
to LT three payment of
phase. charges
Conversion from
LT to HT and
vice-versa
10.Resolution of
complaints on
consumer's Bills
a) Where field Within 24 hours AAO/AE(T) Soujanya AEE(E) of the
report is not of receipt of Counter of the Sub- Sub-division
required complaint Division

b) Where field Within 7 days of

 report is receipt of - do - - do -
required complaint

11. Reconnection
of supply
following
disconnection

a) Towns and On the same day AAO of the Sub- AEE(E) of the
cities Division Sub-division
AE(O&M)/JE (O&M)
Within 24 hours Section Officer
b) Rural areas of receipt of
payment from
consumer - do - - do -

12. Refund of Within 60 days AEE(E)/AAO/SA of the EE (E) of the

Deposits after receipt of Sub-Division Sub-Division
request
13. Issue of On the same day AAO/SA/of the AEE (E) of the
certificates of receipt of accounting Unit Sub-Division
application or
request
 FORM A

PROFORMA FOR LODGING COMPLAINT

(With the next higher authority)

Part A (to be filled in by the consumer)

1. Name and address of the Consumer

2. Consumer Number (RR Number)

3. Brief description of the complaint

Signature of the Applicant

Date:
Place:

===============Tear at this line====================

Part-B (To be acknowledged by the Licensee)

Complaint Number:
Date:

1. Name of the consumer

2. Consumer Number (RR Number)
3. Details of complaint:
4. Target date to resolve the complaint

Name and Signature of the Official

Designation
Date:
Place: