Maharashtra commission orders solar pump for farmer after seven year delay
The Nagpur consumer commission directed MSEDCL to install a solar pump and pay Rs 35,000 in compensation to a farmer.
The Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Nagpur has ordered the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to install a solar agricultural pump on a farmer's land within 60 days. According to a report by India Today, the commission also directed the utility to pay Rs 35,000 for mental harassment and litigation costs.
The 69-year-old farmer, a resident of Parshivani tehsil in Nagpur district, applied for a 3 HP solar agricultural pump connection for his 1.83-hectare farm at Mauza Dundakhairi. He deposited Rs 16,560 on July 10, 2019, following a demand note from MSEDCL.
The commission held MSEDCL guilty of deficiency in service in its October 22 order. It noted that while MSEDCL claimed the farmer had requested a regular electricity connection instead of a solar pump, the utility had accepted his online vendor selection in May 2020 and conducted a site inspection in September 2020.
The farmer alleged that MSEDCL staff misused his signature to prepare letters and pressured him to withdraw his complaint. He stated he did not know English.
The commission rejected the farmer's claim for Rs 24.93 lakh in damages for cotton crop losses in 2019 and 2020. It stated the projected yield was speculative and lacked independent evidence to prove the crop failed solely due to the lack of a connection.
MSEDCL must provide the connection without charging any amount beyond the original Rs 16,560. The compensation of Rs 25,000 for mental harassment and Rs 10,000 for litigation costs must be paid within 30 days, or carry 9 per cent annual interest.