Taking cognizance of a complaint/appeal regarding electricity meter shifting, Haryana Right to Service Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on a Junior Engineer of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). A spokesperson for the Haryana Right to Service Commission said that under the chairmanship of Chief Commissioner Sh TC Gupta, a hearing was conducted on April 5, 2024, regarding the case involving Kuldeep Singh Nehra, the XEN of Rewari Division under the DHBVN, Jatin Kumar, the SDO of Rewari Sub Division, and Junior Engineer (JE) Surendrer Sharma of Rewari Sub Division.
JE Surender Sharma failed to attend the hearing, and the appellant, Saroj Yadav, also did not participate. However, the Commission received a written email from Saroj Yadav expressing gratitude for the intervention of the Haryana Right to Service Commission, acknowledging the assistance received.
The Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on JE Surender Sharma for service negligence. Consequently, instructions have been issued to the XEN to ensure compensation of Rs 5,000 to the complainant/appellant, Saroj Yadav. The Commission's decision stipulates that this sum will be deducted from the April salary, provided it doesn't exceed 1/3 of the salary.
Any surplus amount will be deducted in subsequent months, up to 1/3 of the salary, and will be deposited to the state treasury, totaling Rs 20,000. Furthermore, the Commission has directed that from the deducted amount, Rs 5,000 should be prioritized for payment to Saroj Yadav, provided that he is a consumer in the DHBVN records.
If Saroj Yadav is not a consumer, the amount should be credited to the account of the concerned consumer. The spokesperson highlighted that rather than taking any action against Surender Sharma, SDO Jatin Kumar opted for a simpler solution by transferring Surender Sharma's responsibilities to another JE.
Additionally, he neglected to adhere to the directives, resulting in the automatic dismissal of the appeal. Such actions, the spokesperson emphasized, contravene both the explicit provisions and the underlying principles of the Act. Consequently, the Commission has recommended the Energy Department to initiate suitable disciplinary proceedings against Jatin Kumar.
The state government will review the Commission's recommendations and provide information regarding the actions taken to the Commission within a period of thirty days or more. Similarly, lapse has been found on the part of Kuldeep Singh Nehra, XEN and he has failed to comply with the order and he has also rejected the appeal.
His actions were deemed to have violated the fundamental ethos of the Act. However, instead of proposing disciplinary action against him, considering his apology tendered during the hearing, his behavior has been reported to the Managing Director of DHBVN for any suitable action deemed necessary.
The Commission expressed its dissatisfaction with the negligent conduct of senior officers like Kuldeep Singh Nehra. It is hoped that he will ensure justice for complainants/appellants in the future before hastily "resolving" or "dismissing" their complaints.