Madikeri: In a retribution to CESC (Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation) for its callousness and casual approach to the grievances of its consumers, the Karnataka Consumers Forum has ordered the State-run Power Company to pay Rs. 6 lakh as compensation to a power consumer in Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu district, who lost his household articles due to short circuit.

Details: S.L. Shankar, a resident of Nagarur village in Somwarpet, had lost his household articles and other electronic goods as they got burnt due to an electric short circuit caused by the snapping of a Transformer power line on Aug. 5, 2017. The power line had snapped due to heavy rains on that day and Shankar’s house had caught fire. Later, Shankar filed a complaint with local Police blaming the callous attitude of CESC authorities for the mishap and sought suitable compensation from CESC.

As all his efforts to get compensation proved futile, Shankar moved the Kodagu District Consumer Forum at Madikeri, seeking a direction to CESC to pay compensation to him. The Forum, which heard Shankar’s plea on Nov. 17, 2018, ordered CESC (Managing Director, Executive Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer) to pay Shankar a compensation of Rs. 7.5 lakh and another Rs. 25,000 for mental trauma the petitioner underwent.

But the CESC authorities on Mar. 15, 2019, moved the Karnataka State Consumer Forum questioning the Kodagu District Forum’s order on compensation.

The Forum which heard the CESC’s petition, rejected its contention that the short circuit was an accident triggered by natural cause as the power line snapped due to heavy rains and there was no negligence on its (CESC) part, and ordered the State-run power company to pay a compensation of Rs. 6 lakh along with accrued interest from the date of incident (Aug. 5, 2017) till now. The Forum also set a two-month deadline to CESC for payment of compensation to the aggrieved Shankar, who after a four-year legal battle seems to have got justice.