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Judgment
R.P. Dholakia, J.—The present petition has been filed by the petitioner for quashing and setting aside the impugned order dated 03.12.2003 passed by the Appellate Committee at Annexure-B and the supplementary bill issued by the respondent at Annexure-A. The petitioner was having electricity connection bearing No. 87202/02033-5 with the then Gujarat Electricity Board. The Junior Engineer of Aji-II Sub Division, Rajkot undertook surprise checking of aforesaid connection and found unauthorized extension of load of 1.855 KW. Consequence thereof, a supplementary bill of Rs. 33,243.50 was issued to the consumer/present petitioner. Against the aforesaid supplementary bill, the petitioner approached the Appellate Committee, West Zone, Rajkot, by way of preferring appeal. The Appellate Committee after affording reasonable opportunity of hearing to the respective parties, passed a detailed order on 03.12.2003, dismissing the appeal of the appellant, i.e. present petitioner.
Precisely, the aforesaid supplementary bill dated 31.03.2003 and the decision of the Appellate Committee dated 03.12.2003 have been challenged by way of present petition before this Court.
Learned advocate for the petitioner contended that the respondent-authority has failed to consider its own circular No. 751 dated 21.05.2002. Precisely, this contention appears to be misconceived on the part of the petitioner. On perusal of the aforesaid circular, it reveals that the said circular contains general instructions to carry out surprise checking so that the consumer may not be unnecessarily harassed. The circular does not contain any stipulation regarding regularization of unauthorized extension load.
Having heard learned advocates for respective parties and having perused the supplementary bill as well as impugned order passed by the Appellate Committee, this Court is of the view that the first Appellate Authority has given reasonable opportunity to the petitioner to state his case and has passed an reasoned order. The principles of natural justice appears to have been fully complied with by the first Appellate Authority.
On going through the aforesaid decision rendered by the Appellate Committee, West Zone, Rajkot which is at Annexure-B, this Court has noticed that the said authority has considered rival contentions and assigned detailed reasons for arriving at the final conclusions. Prima-facie there appears no impropriety or illegality in the findings recorded by the Appellate Committee, West Zone, Rajkot. There appears no scope to interfere with the order passed by the said Appellate Committee. In the result, the present petition fails and accordingly, the petition stands dismissed. Interim relief, if any, granted earlier stands vacated forthwith. Rule is discharged.