Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 03: The Electricity Act, 2003, envisioned a fair grievance redressal system for power consumers through the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF). These forums were meant to act as the first line of justice for citizens facing problems such as inflated bills, arbitrary disconnections, defective meters, or prolonged power cuts. Yet in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the very composition of these forums raises serious concerns about their credibility and fairness.
At present, the CGRF in the Islands is headed by Chairman and a senior officer of the Electricity Department, with another member nominated by JERC, Senior officer is drawn from the same establishment. In effect, the department becomes both the accused and the judge. This is a clear violation of the principle of natural justice, no one should be a judge in their own cause. For the ordinary consumer, already struggling against a monopoly service provider, this structure hardly inspires confidence.
The result is predictable. Complaints often meet with routine replies, delays, or outright rejection. Many consumers give up midway, unwilling to take the costly and time-consuming route of appealing before the forum. The very forum that was meant to protect them has become yet another barrier.
Across the country, states like Maharashtra and Delhi have shown the way by inducting retired judges, consumer activists, and independent experts into their grievance forums. Such steps have restored faith in the system and ensured that the forums function as consumer-centric bodies, not departmental shields. Why should the electricity consumers of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands be denied the same justice?
It is high time that the Andaman & Nicobar Administration and the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) take corrective measures. The forums must be restructured to include independent members, preferably retired judicial officers or representatives from recognized consumer bodies. Transparency in proceedings, timely disposal of complaints, and accessibility to ordinary consumers should be made mandatory.
Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done. Until the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forums in the Islands are freed from departmental control, consumers will continue to feel helpless and unheard. For a region where electricity is the lifeline of homes, businesses, and tourism, an impartial and credible grievance mechanism is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
