Advisory Committee, Consumer Consultation

Commission Advisory Committee

(1) The Commission shall constitute a committee to be known as the Commission Advisory Committee, in consultation with the State Government which shall consist of such number of persons being not less than 15 and not more than 21 as the Commission may appoint after consultation with such representatives or bodies representative of the following interests as the Commission thinks fit, that is to say, holders of supply licences in the State, holders of transmission licences in the State, generating companies operating in the State, Commerce, Industry, Transport, Agriculture, Labour employed in the electricity supply industry and consumers of electricity.

(2) The Chairman and members of the Commission shall be ex-officio Chairman and Members of the Commission Advisory Committee.

(3) The term of the members of advisory Committee shall be for a period of three years and one third of the members shall retire annually.

(4) The Commission Advisory Committee shall meet at least once in every three months.

(5) The functions of the Commission Advisory Committee shall be as follows:--

(a) to advise the Commission on major questions of policy, relating to the electricity industry in the State; and

(b) to advise the Commission on any matters which the Commission may put before it, including matters relating to the quality, continuity and extent of service provided by licensees and compliance by licensees with the conditions and requirements of their licences.

Consumer protection and standard of performance

33. (1) The Commission may, after consultation with (a) holders of supply

licences, (b) other persons or bodies appearing to the Commission to be representative of persons and categories of persons likely to be affected and (c) the Commission Advisory Committee, frame regulations prescribing:--

(a) the circumstances in which such licensees are to inform consumers of their rights;

(b) the standards of performance in relation to any duty arising under sub-section (a) above or otherwise in connection with the electricity supply to the consumers; and

(c) the circumstances in which licensees are to be exempted from any requirements of the regulations or this section and may make different provision for different licensees.

(2) Nothing in this section or other provisions of this Act shall in any way prejudice or affect the rights and privileges of the Consumers under other laws including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

Electricity supply and overall performance standards

34. (1) The Commission may, after consultation with the licensees, the Commission Advisory Committee, and with persons or bodies appearing to it to be representative of persons likely to be affected, from time to time,-

(a) determine such standards of overall performance in connection with the provision of electricity supply services and in connection with the promotion of the efficient use of electricity by consumers as, in its opinion, is economic and ought to be achieved by such licensees; and

(b) arrange for the publications, in such form and in such manner as it considers appropriate, of the standards so determined.

(2) Different standards may be determined under this section for different licensees.

Information with respect to levels of performance

35. (1) The Commission shall from time to time collect information with respect to,-

(a) the fines or penalties levied on licensees under this Act;

(b) the levels of overall performance achieved by such licensees in connection with the transmission and provision of electricity supply services; and

(c) the levels of performance achieved by such licensees in connection with the promotion of the efficient use of electricity by consumers.

(2) On or before such date in each year as may be specified in a direction given by the Commission, each licensee shall furnish to the Commission the following information,-

(a) with respect to each standard prescribed the number of cases in which a penalty was levied and the aggregate amount of value of those penalties; and

(b) with respect to each standard determined such information with respect to the level of performance achieved by the licensee as may be so specified.

(3) The Commission shall, at least once in every year, arrange for the publication, in such form and in such manner as it considers appropriate, of such of the information collected by or furnished to it under this section as may appear to the Commission to be so required.

Restriction on disclosure of information.

36. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, no information with respect to any

particular business which in the opinion of the Commission is confidential; and

(a) has been obtained by the Commission under or by virtue of any of the provisions of this Act; and

(b) relates to the affairs of any individual or to any particular business,

shall during the lifetime of that individual or for so long as that particular business continues to be carried on, be disclosed by the Commission without the consent of that individual or the person for the time being carrying on that business.

(2) The restriction contained in sub-section (1) above shall not apply to any disclosure of information which is made:-

(a) for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the State Government of any of its functions under a statute;

(b) for the purpose of facilitating the carrying out by the Central Government of any of its duties or functions under this Act or any Central legislation;

(c) for the purpose of facilitating the Accountant General, Andhra Pradesh to carry out his duties and functions under this Act;

(d) for the purpose of enabling or assisting any competent person to carry out functions under the enactment relating to insolvency;

(e) in connection with the investigation of any criminal offence or for the purposes of any criminal proceedings; or

(f) for the purposes of any civil proceedings brought under or by virtue of this Act or any other State or Central legislation to which the information is directly relevant.

(3) The restrictions contained in sub-section (1) above do not apply to the disclosure of any information relating to tariff.

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