One of the mandates of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission is to ensure a fair deal to consumers.Under Section 35 of the Karnataka Electricity Reform Act, 1999, the Commission may make regulations specifying the circumstances under which Licensees are to inform customers of their rights. The Commission has specified under the Supply License that the Licensee shall establish with the prior approval of the Commission, a procedure for handling complaints from consumers. The consumer can also approach the Commission in the event of failure or delay on the part of the Licensee in resolving the grievance.

For this purpose ‘Consumer’ means any person as defined in Section 2(c) of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910 and shall also include any person who has made an application for availing power supply from the Licensee.

The procedure for dealing with these grievances before the Commission shall be dealt in accordance with the following Consumer Grievance Handling Procedure:

• Appointment of a Grievance Redressal Officer

• Compliance with Licensee’s Code of Practice

• Grievance Filing

• Commission procedure

• Monitoring of Complaints brought to the Commission

Appointment of a Grievance Redressal Officer


The Commission has separately accorded approval to the Complaint Handling and Redressal Standards relating to Distribution and Supply of Power (Standards of performance) as required under para 23.2 of the Supply Licence issued to HESCOM.

I. Appointment of a Grievance Redressal Officer:

1. The Commission shall nominate an officer as ‘Grievance Redressal Officer’ to deal with all matters relating to consumer grievances.


Compliance with Licensee’s Code of Practice

1. Any person or organization 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.

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 consumer’s grievance beyond three months.

3. The Commission will not take cognizance of the grievance of the consumer if the consumer has not exhausted the Licensee’s grievance handling process. In such an event, the grievance of the consumer will be forwarded by the Grievance Redressal officer of the Commission to the Licensee for appropriate action.

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

Grievance Filing

1. Every grievance to the Commission must be submitted in writing to the Grievance Redressal officer stating:

(i) The name of the individual or organization, address and telephone number (if any) of the complainant.
(ii) The name of the Licensee.
(iii) A brief description of the matter which is the source of the grievance, including copies of any relevant and supporting document.
(iv) If known, specific references to any Law, Licence condition, Regulation, Code or Standard alleged to have been violated.
(v) Written proof that the complainant had submitted the grievance to the Licensee and has exhausted its grievance procedure.
(vi) Relief sought.
(vii) An authenticated copy of response from the Licensee.

Commission procedure

1. Action by the Grievance Redressal Officer:

(i) Within 3 working days of receipt of a consumer grievance, the Grievance Redressal officer shall send an acknowledgement to the consumer. Grievances, which fulfill conditions in Para II above, will be registered and serially numbered, e.g., C/01/0, C/02/0 and so on. A copy of the grievance shall be forwarded under the signature of the Grievance Redressal officer within 5 working days 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.

(ii) Within 14 working 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.

(iii) The period prescribed for submission of the parawise comments shall not be ordinarily extended 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.

(iv) On receipt of the parawise comments, the case file shall be processed within 14 working days.

(v) Should a rejoinder from the Complainant be considered absolutely necessary for a just decision of the Consumer grievance, the same may be obtained under the order of the Commission.

(vi) The powers of the Commission under the Act and powers for investigation, inquiry, collection of information etc., under Chapter III of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (General and Conduct of Proceedings) Regulations 2000 shall be applicable in dealing with the grievances.

(vii) In case, where the Commission considers it appropriate to undertake and discharge the matter through hearing of the
affected parties, procedures as laid down in Chapter II of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (General and Conduct of proceedings) Regulations, 2000 shall apply.

(viii) 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 three months from the date of receipt in any event.

(ix) The order passed under Para (viii) shall be implemented by the Licensee within 15 days of the receipt of the order.

(x) The Licensee shall report compliance to the Commission within 7 days of implementation of the order.

(xi) Failure to implement the order of the Commission makes the Licensee liable to action under the Act.

Monitoring of Complaints brought to the Commission

1. The Commission will keep a record of Consumer grievances brought to it and the result thereof relating
to each Licensee.
2. The Commission may arrange for publication of this data.
3. The Commission may take notice of its record of Consumer grievances in any proceeding including but
not limited to proceedings relating to licenses and tariffs.

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