📰 Fighting Unjust Power Bills: The Case of Basant Lal Jaiswal

Grievance Registration Number: GOVUP/E/2025/0141131, Date of Receipt: 14/12/2025, Complainant: Yogi M. P. Singh. This case is an example of fighting unjust power bills.

This blog post details the long-standing grievance of a 79-year-old consumer named Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal. He has a dispute with the Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited. The dispute is due to continued billing and exorbitant surcharges. This persists despite the official disconnection of his electricity line over a decade ago. The case highlights serious departmental negligence and corruption.

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1. The Consumer and The Connection

Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal, son of Shri Ram Sevak Jaiswal, initiated his electricity connection (No. 1365332000 1, also referenced as 921/34-295 2222) with the Electricity Distribution Division Mirzapur 3on May 20, 1992444. His connection was under the EDSD-II VINDHYACHAL subdivision⁵.

2. Physical Disconnection and The Failed PD Process (2009-2010)

The core issue stems from the failure of departmental staff to complete the Permanent Disconnection (PD) process: (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

• Line Cut Date: The consumer’s line was disconnected on December 10, 2009.
• PD Application: Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal submitted an application. He requested the completion of the PD file for his cut line.
• Official Endorsements (March 9, 2010): The application was processed internally:
  • The Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) marked the application with the direction, “Pl. Report” (कृपया जाँचकर रिपोर्ट दें).
  • Junior Engineer (J.E.) Abhay Singh endorsed the application on 9/3/10.
  • The J.E. further endorsed it to the Lineman, Shri Ram Achaivar, for investigation and report.

Despite this internal processing confirming the line cut and the consumer’s request for PD, the file was never completed.

3. The Unwarranted Arrears and Surcharge (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

Due to the failure to complete the PD file, the department continued to raise electricity bills for the disconnected line¹¹¹¹¹¹. This led to a massive and unjustified outstanding amount:

• Total Outstanding (November): Rs. 1,48,971.
• Surcharge (Interest) Amount (October): Rs. 63,613.

This exorbitant surcharge results directly from the lapse in duty. The departmental personnel failed to execute the PD report in 2010.

4. Continuous Complaints

The consumer was forced to appeal to higher authorities to stop the erroneous billing:

• Complaint to DM: On June 23, 2014, the District Magistrate/Executive Engineer received a subsequent complaint about the continued billing. (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

5. Action Demanded from the Executive Engineer

The applicant (Yogi M. P. Singh) seeks immediate and reasoned resolution from the Executive Engineer, Electricity Distribution Division, Mirzapur, to address this serious case of irregularity and the distress caused to the old-age consumer:

1. Immediate PD File Completion: Order the immediate completion of the PD file for connection No. 1365332000, retroactively effective from the line cutting date, December 10, 2009.
2. Surcharge Waiver: Provide a reasoned reply and immediately waive the entire Surcharge/Interest amount of Rs. 63,613, as these charges were caused solely by departmental negligence.
3. Action Taken Report (ATR): Provide a detailed report on the disciplinary action initiated against the specific individuals (SDO, J.E. Abhay Singh, Lineman Ram Achaivar) involved in the 2010 file processing, whose failure led to these unwarranted arrears. (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

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The grievance is currently forwarded to the Uttar Pradesh government, specifically to Shri Arvind Mohan (Joint Secretary), for necessary action. The expectation is a prompt and fair resolution. It should hold the responsible officials accountable. This would relieve Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal of the unwarranted financial burden.

Based on the official website of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PUVVNL), we have gathered the grievance details. Here are the web links and contact details for the accountable staff in the Mirzapur District. This includes higher management for escalation.

🔗 Official Web Links and General Contacts (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

Detail	Information	Source
Official Website	https://puvvnl.in/	Official Website
UPPCL Bill/Payment Site	www.uppcl.org	Document/Official Site
Toll-Free Complaint Number	1912	Customer Care
Customer Support Number	1800 180 5025	Customer Care
CGRF Complaint Portal	Available on the PUVVNL website	Official Website

📧 Accountable Staff in Mirzapur District (Escalation Path)

The most direct accountable staff for the EDD-2 Mirzapur division (which oversees the connection) are listed below. The Executive Engineer’s details align with the email mentioned in your document, but the name is updated:

Designation	Name of Officer	Mobile Number	E-mail ID	Source
Executive Engineer (EE) (EDD-2 Mirzapur)	Shri Manish Kumar Srivastava	9450963598	ee.2mirzapur@puvvnl.in	Official Site
Superintending Engineer (SE) (Mirzapur)	Shri Ram Das	9415304000	se.mirzapur@puvvnl.in	Official Site
Chief Engineer (CE) (Mirzapur Zone)	Shri Jayanti Prasad Narayan Singh, CE	9450963509	ce.mirzapur@puvvnl.in	Official Site

🏛️ PUVVNL Headquarters (For Top-Level Escalation)

If the local Mirzapur officials fail to resolve the PD and surcharge issue, you may escalate the matter to the Managing Director of the Nigam:

Designation	Name of Officer	Contact Number	E-mail ID	Source
Managing Director (MD)	Shri Shambhu Kumar (I.A.S.)	0542-2318437	md@puvvnl.in	Official Site
MD’s Secondary Email	N/A	N/A	mdpurvanchalvvnl@gmail.com	Official Site

Headquarters Address: DLW Bhikharipur, Varanasi – 221004 (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

That is an excellent and highly relevant question given the details of the case.

Yes, meter reading was not essential for regular billing purposes in this specific case. This fact confirms the arbitrary nature of the bills issued after the line was disconnected.

Here is the explanation:

The Status of the Connection

The documents clearly indicate that the electricity line was physically disconnected/cut on December 10, 2009¹. Shortly thereafter, in March 2010, Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal applied for the Permanent Disconnection (PD) file for that line².

Why Meter Reading Becomes Irrelevant (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

1. Zero Consumption: Once someone cuts the line, the meter should record zero consumption from that point onward. A meter reading would confirm the final reading taken on or around December 10, 2009. It would also confirm that no units were consumed afterwards.
2. PD Protocol: The purpose of the Permanent Disconnection (PD) process is to officially terminate the service connection. When a utility approves a PD request, the billing system should technically close the connectional bill up to the date of disconnection.
3. No Basis for Billing: After the team cut the line, they initiated the PD process. The only necessary step was for the Lineman, J.E. Abhay Singh, or SDO to perform the final verification and file the PD report. These officials failed to complete the PD report. As a result, the billing system continued to generate bills. It was likely based on estimation or a fixed minimum charge (demand charge).

Conclusion: Arbitrary Billing (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

The continued issuance of bills—which accumulated a massive Surcharge (Interest) of Rs. 63,613 5—proves that the bills were arbitrary.

• If the meter reads zero consumption, the billing system should issue only zero bills. In this specific case, permanent disconnection: SDO & J.E. processed it in 2010. They disconnected the connection physically. This connection is only on paper.
• The officials did not perform their duty and failed to file the PD. The officials neglected to perform their duty and failed to file the PD. As a result, they generated a bill after the final bill.

The non-completion of the PD file is the direct cause of the arbitrary billing and the resulting unwarranted arrears.

Do you want to know the next recommended step? This step would help the applicant in escalating the matter. The process guarantees that we file the PD and waive the surcharge.

The case is serious due to arbitrary billing and unwarranted surcharge despite PD application. Bureaucratic failure to act since 2010 exacerbates the issue. The applicant needs to pursue a multi-pronged escalation strategy.

Here are the recommended next steps for the applicant, Mr. Yogi M. P. Singh, to pursue on behalf of Shri Basant Lal Jaiswal:

🚀 Recommended Escalation Strategy

The strategy involves pursuing both the current grievance. It also includes launching a direct, formal escalation to the highest local and corporate authorities.

1. Follow Up on the Registered Grievance (GOVUP/E/2025/0141131)

Shri Arvind Mohan (Joint Secretary) in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat has received the forwarded grievance. The primary focus should be on tracking and supplementing this case.

• Contact the Secretariat: The applicant should follow up directly with the office of Shri Arvind Mohan. This ensures that the relevant officers in Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PUVVNL) correctly receive the grievance.
  • Contact Number: 0522-2226350
• Submit Supplementary Documents: Prepare a short letter referencing the Grievance Registration Number: GOVUP/E/2025/0141131 and attach copies of:
  • The 2010 PD application endorsed by the SDO/J.E. Abhay Singh (Document Page 5).
  • The 2014 complaint made to the District Magistrate (Document Page 6).
  • The latest OTS notice showing the Rs. 63,613 surcharge (Document Page 1).

2. Direct Escalation to PUVVNL Authorities

Do not wait for the grievance process alone. Send the original representation (the structured letter you drafted) via registered post and email to the following officials for immediate action:

Officer	Designation	Action Required	Contact Details
Shri Manish Kumar Srivastava	Executive Engineer (EE), EDD-2 Mirzapur	Immediate Action: The EE is the officer primarily responsible for correcting the PD file and bill.	E-mail: ee.2mirzapur@puvvnl.in Mob: 9450963598
Shri Ram Das	Superintending Engineer (SE), Mirzapur	Supervisory Action: Escalation to the head of the Mirzapur Circle.	E-mail: se.mirzapur@puvvnl.in Mob: 9415304000
Shri Shambhu Kumar (I.A.S.)	Managing Director (MD), PUVVNL	Highest Escalation: Appeal to the head of the entire corporation, referencing the deep-rooted corruption and official negligence since 2010.	E-mail: md@puvvnl.in

3. Filing a Complaint with CGRF (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)

The Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer must provide a satisfactory response within 15 days. If they do not, the applicant must take further action. The applicant should wait for 15 days for a response. If the reply is unsatisfactory, take further action. The next step is to file a formal petition with the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF).

• Process: The CGRF is a semi-judicial body for consumer disputes that ensures a fair and time-bound resolution. The petition must clearly detail the chronology. It must attach all evidence of the failed PD process (2010 documents). Additionally, it must demand the complete waiver of the Rs. 63,613 surcharge.
• Basis for Complaint: The case hinges on the violation of billing norms. Internal staff failed to adhere to the PD process. This failure resulted in an unjustified financial demand.

This combined approach provides immediate pressure on the local division. It ensures higher authorities are involved. The state government’s grievance system is actively involved. (Fighting Unjust Power Bills)