One of the mandates of the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission is to ensure a fair deal to consumers. The Commission has prescribed codes and standards for overall performance as well as minimum standards of service under the terms of licence. It has prescribed regulations on circumstances in which licensees are to inform customers of their rights. The Commission ensures that every licensee has an effective grievance handling machinery in operation. it is the duty of every licensee that grievances of consumers are handled speedily and effectively. The consumer can also approach the Commission in case of failure or delay on the part of the licensee in resolving the grievance. The procedure for dealing with these grievance beofre the Commission shall be dealt in accordance with the following Consumer Grievance Handling Procedure.

1      Compliance with Licensee's Code of Practice

1.1   Any person or organisation wishing to submit his grievance to the commission should in the first instance have submitted his grievance to the Licensee in accordance with the Licensee's approved grievance handling procedure and should have exhausted the Licensee's grievance handling process.

1.2   The Commission will take cognizance of the grievance if the consumer is not satisfied with the final response of the licensee or if the consumer feels that  the licensee has delayed in addressing the consumers grievance beyond 3  months.

1.3   If the Commission does not take cognizance of the grievance, it shall inform stating reasons for doing so.

2     Grievance Filing

2.1   Every grievance to the Commission must be submitted in writing to the Public Affairs Officer, stating :

2.1.1  the name of the individual or the organisation, address and telephone number (if any) of the Complainant;

2.1.2  the name of the licensee;

2.1.3  a full description of the matter which is the source of the grievance, including copies of any relevant & supporting document;

2.1.4  if known, specific reference to any law, licence condition, Regulation, code or standard alleged to have been violated;

2.1.5  written proof that the complainant had submitted the grievance to the
Licensee and has exhausted its grievance process;

2.1.6  relief sought; and

2.1.7  an authenticated copy of any response from the licensee.

3      Commission Procedure

3.1   Action by the Public Affairs Officer/Commission Secretary

3.1.1  Within 3 days of receipt of a consumer grievance, the Public Affairs Officer shall send an acknowledgement. Grievances, which fulfil conditions in para(1) above, will be registered and serially numbered, e.g. C.C.No.1/99, 2/99 and so on. A copy of the grievance shall be forward under the signature of the
Commission Secretary within 5 days of the date of receipt to the Licensee to
offer parawise comments and such other information as may be necessary to
dispose of the grievance effectively and adequately.

3.1.2  Within 14 days from the date of receipt, the Licensee shall submit its
parawise comments and such other information to the Commission on the
grievance, failing which it will be deemed that the Licensee has no comments
to offer and a decision shall be taken by the Commission as deemed fit and proper unless the time for such a response is extended in writing by the
Commission.

3.1.3  The period prescribed for submission of the parawise comments shall not be ordinarily extended by the Commission's Secretary unless a specific prayer is made on valid and cogent ground to that effect by the Chief Executive of  the Licensee and the Commission approves of the same.

3.1.4  On receipt of the parawise comments, the Case file shall be processed
within 7 days. Views of divisional head such as Engineering, Tariff and Law
shall be obtained, if necessary.

3.1.5  Should a rejoinder from the Complainant is considered absolutely necessary for a just decision of the consumer grievance, the same may be obtained under the order of the Commission.

3.1.6  The Commission will pass an order as deemed fit and proper taking into
consideration the grievance, the parawise report and such other information supplied by the Licensee and documents, if any, filed by the parties.The final decision on the grievance shall not be delayed beyond one and half month in any event.

3.1.7  In cases where the Commission considers it appropriate to undertake and discharge the matter through hearing of the affectedd parties, procedures as laid down in Chapter-II of the Regulations, 1996 shall apply.

3.1.8  The order passed under para 3.1.6 shall be implementedd by the Licensee within 15 days of the date of receipt of the order.

3.1.9  The Licensee shall report compliance to the Commission within 3 days of implementation of the order.

3.1.10 Failure to implement the order of the Commission means the Licensee liable to action under Sections 30, 31 and 41 of the OER Act, 1995.

3.1.11 It shall be necessary for the Commission's Secretary to obtain the consent of the party who filed the grievance before initiating a proceeding under chapter II of the OERC (Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996.

4      Monitoring of Complaints Brought to the Commission

4.1   The Commission will keep a record of consumer grievances brought to it and the results thereof relating to each Licensee.

4.2   The Commission may arrange for publication of this data.

4.3   The Commission may take notice of its record of consumer grievances in any proceeding including but not limited to proceedings relating to licences and tariffs.

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