CAG in association with the Anmol Foundation is working on a project “Accelerating Clean Energy Transition By Improving Stakeholder Participation For Electricity Governance In India” in Chhattisgarh. The project is designed to facilitate consumer and civil society organization involvement in the electricity sector.
Anmol Foundation will set up local electricity forums in the state of Chhattisgarh as part of the initiative. A local electricity forum is a platform where stakeholders in a specific region or community come together to discuss issues, concerns, and ideas related to the electricity sector. The local electricity forum convenes monthly meetings as a core activity to deliberate and resolve electricity-related issues within the community. The aim is to create dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among various stakeholders, including consumers, civil society organisations and Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL).
During the meeting, Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Director, Anmol Foundation, explained in detail the objective of organising the programme. He further presented about CAG’s work in creating awareness of consumer rights.
23rd June 2024
Local Electricity Forum meeting at Ricokala, Balodabazar district:
The program had 35 participants from different consumer categories. Dr. Suresh Shukla, energy expert, talked about electricity generation and shared tips on how to save electricity. He also provided information on how star-rated appliances can save consumer’s electricity bills and advised the participants to use them.
Participants in the event
Deepak Sahu, Assistant Engineer, CSPDCL, provided participants with information on how to obtain connections from the CSPDCL local section office. He also discussed discounts on electricity bills and the department's tariff plan. The main points of the discussion included: (i) Increase in electricity bills (ii) tariff structure (iii) unannounced power cuts (iv) useful tools for saving electricity. He also mentioned the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum as an avenue for addressing electricity-related complaints and finding resolutions. During the meetings, five consumers registered their complaints.
Deepak Sahu, Assistant Engineer, CSPDCL presenting his views and educating the gathering.
The discussion at the end of the meeting involved all the participants sharing their personal experiences and grievances related to electricity issues.