Mahesh Sharma, 41, restaurant owner from Indore. Applied for a 25 kW commercial connection in February 2025 for his new outlet in Vijay Nagar. Deposited Rs 84,000 as security with MPMKVVCL (Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company). Five months later — still no meter.

“The application showed 'Approved — Awaiting Installation' on the MPMKVVCL portal from April. I called 1912 every week. The agent kept saying, 'Sir, in queue, please wait.' My loan EMIs had started, my staff was sitting idle, my landlord was charging rent on a closed shutter. In July my CA suggested an RTI. Cost me Rs 10 in a postal order and Rs 50 for registered post. I sent it on 18 July to the PIO at MPMKVVCL Vijay Nagar zonal office. The reply came on 14 August — 28 days. It said in plain Hindi that the local 200 kVA transformer was running at 96 percent load and that a 250 kVA upgrade work order had been raised in March but the contractor allocation was pending at the Superintending Engineer's office. I forwarded the RTI reply directly to the SE's email with a polite request. The work order moved in 4 days. The transformer was upgraded in a week. My meter was installed on 26 August. From the day I posted the RTI to the day power flowed: 39 days. Before the RTI: 5 months of nothing.” —Mahesh, September 2025 </WRAP> This pattern repeats across every state. The Forum of Regulators 2024 review found that roughly 22 percent of new commercial connections breach the statutory SLA, but written reasons are almost never given upfront. The PIO at the DISCOM zonal office, however, must answer in writing in 30 days. Most consumers simply do not know to ask. ===== Why an RTI works (when 1912 and the DISCOM portal don't) ===== You have probably already tried the helpline (1912 is the national DISCOM number; 19123 in some states), the company portal (BSES Connect, MSEDCL Online, BESCOM Sevasahaya, TANGEDCO e-services), and maybe the CGRF (Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum). These can work — when they do. * DISCOM helpline / portal: the agent or the auto-ticket can mark your complaint “resolved” by replying “your case is in queue” or “load sanction pending”. No reason needed. No appeal. * CGRF complaint: good route, but takes 45 days under §42(5) of the Electricity Act, requires a formal hearing, and the Forum often asks for the basis on which the DISCOM held up your file — which only an RTI gives you. * RTI: the PIO must give you a written reply with reasons within 30 days under §7(1) of the RTI Act 2005. If they don't — or if the reply is vague — you file a First Appeal for free under §19(1). Then a Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC), where penalties of up to Rs 25,000 can be imposed on the silent PIO under §20. In short: the helpline is a request. An RTI is a legal claim on your right to know. And it gives you the paper trail you need if you eventually go to CGRF or the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC). ===== The 8 steps, in order ===== ==== Step 1 — Identify your DISCOM and the right zonal office ==== Each state has one or more DISCOMs. The PIO sits at the zonal/circle office that covers your service address — not the head office. * Delhi: BSES Rajdhani (south/west), BSES Yamuna (east/central), Tata Power-DDL (north/north-west), NDMC area for Lutyens * Mumbai metropolitan: Tata Power, Adani Electricity Mumbai, MSEDCL (suburbs/MMR), BEST (island city) * Maharashtra rest: MSEDCL * Karnataka: BESCOM (Bangalore), MESCOM, HESCOM, GESCOM, CESC * Tamil Nadu: TANGEDCO * Kerala: KSEB * Andhra Pradesh / Telangana: APSPDCL/APEPDCL, TSSPDCL/TSNPDCL * Madhya Pradesh: MPMKVVCL, MPPKVVCL, MPPaKVVCL * Gujarat: Torrent Power (Ahmedabad/Surat), UGVCL, MGVCL, DGVCL, PGVCL * Assam: APDCL * Rajasthan: JdVVNL, AVVNL, JVVNL * West Bengal: CESC (Kolkata), WBSEDCL (rest) Find the zonal office on your latest bill (top-right block) or on the company portal under “Contact Us / Office Locator”. Note the full postal address. ==== Step 2 — Identify the PIO ==== Every DISCOM has notified its PIOs under §5(1) of the RTI Act. The default for a zonal office is the Executive Engineer (Distribution) or the Manager (Customer Care). You don't need their personal name — the title is enough. <code> The Public Information Officer (Executive Engineer — Distribution) [DISCOM name], [Zone/Circle name] Zonal Office [full postal address] </code> The First Appellate Authority (FAA) is one rank above — usually the Superintending Engineer (Distribution) or the Chief Engineer (O&M) at the Circle level. ==== Step 3 — Pay the Rs 10 fee (state-wise) ==== Fees vary slightly by state but Rs 10 is the standard for the central RTI Rules and most states. Pay by: * Indian Postal Order (IPO) for Rs 10, payable to “[DISCOM name]” or “Accounts Officer, [DISCOM]”. Buy from any post office. Most reliable. * Court fee stamp of Rs 10 (Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala accept this) * Demand Draft (DD) for Rs 10 * Online payment gateway if your DISCOM offers RTI online (BESCOM, MSEDCL, BSES have portals; check rtionline.gov.in for state-DISCOM presence) * Cash if you walk in physically — get a stamped receipt If you are Below Poverty Line (BPL), the fee is waived under §7(5) — attach a copy of your BPL ration card or Antyodaya card. ==== Step 4 — Write the RTI (use this exact template) ==== Keep your questions specific, factual, and answerable in writing. Don't ask “why is my connection delayed” — ask “what is the current status, what action is pending, and from whom”. <code> [Your full name] [Service address — same as application] [Phone] · [Email] [Date] To, The Public Information Officer (Executive Engineer — Distribution) [DISCOM name], [Zone/Circle] Zonal Office [full postal address] Subject: RTI application under §6(1), RTI Act 2005 — status of new electricity connection application / billing dispute Sir/Madam, I am an applicant / consumer of [DISCOM name]. I request the following information under §6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, read with §43 of the Electricity Act 2003 and the Right of Consumers Rules, 2020: Application Number / CA Number: [number] Service connection address: [address] Date of application: [DD-MM-YYYY] Demand Note / Security amount paid: Rs [amount] Receipt / DD / online payment reference: [reference] Sanctioned load applied for: [kW] Category: [Domestic / Commercial / Industrial / Agricultural] Information sought: 1. The current status of my above-mentioned application/connection, in writing, with date-wise file movement. 2. The specific reason for delay beyond the statutory timeline of 7 days (metro) / 15 days (non-metro) under Rule 5 of the Right of Consumers Rules, 2020. 3. The name and designation of the dealing official, junior engineer (JE), assistant engineer (AE), and section officer presently handling the file. 4. A copy of the technical inspection (TI) report, load sanction memo, feasibility report, transformer/feeder load study, and any internal noting placed on the file till date. 5. If a transformer / feeder upgrade or line extension (LE) is required: (a) the work order number and date, (b) the agency assigned, © the estimated completion date, (d) the budget head from which the cost is to be met. 6. If any additional document / NOC / fee is required from me to clear the file: the exact list, exact format, and rule under which it is required. 7. A copy of the citizens charter of [DISCOM name] indicating connection timelines and the compensation payable under the Right of Consumers Rules, 2020 for breach of timeline. [For wrong-bill cases, also add: 8. The meter reading on which the disputed bill of Rs [amount] dated [date] has been raised, with photograph of the meter reading (if recorded), and the unit-rate slab applied. 9. Whether the bill is based on actual reading, average, or assessment under §126 of the Electricity Act 2003 — and if assessment, the provisional assessment order copy.] Fee: I enclose Indian Postal Order No. [number] dated [date] for Rs 10 in favour of “[DISCOM name]”. I declare that I am a citizen of India. Thank you, [Signature] [Name] </code> ==== Step 5 — Send by registered post (or hand-deliver) ==== Use Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due (AD) — gives you tracking and proof of delivery. About Rs 50 at any post office. * Take the application + IPO to the post office * Ask for “Registered AD” * Keep the receipt — your dated proof of filing * The pink AD card returns signed by the DISCOM office in 7-10 days You can also hand-deliver at the zonal office's dak window and ask for a stamped acknowledgement on a duplicate copy. Either is valid under §6(1). ==== Step 6 — Mark the deadline on your calendar ==== The 30-day clock starts the day the office receives your application (the date on the AD card, not the date you posted). * Day 30: Reply due. If silence, proceed to Step 7. * Day 31 onwards: This is §7(2) deemed refusal. You can file a free First Appeal immediately. ==== Step 7 — Use the reply to push the right person ==== The PIO's written reply will usually fall into one of these patterns. Take the matching action: - “Load sanction / capacity check pending at SE office” — forward the RTI reply to the Superintending Engineer (email is on the DISCOM portal) with a short polite cover. Mahesh's case is the standard playbook. - “Transformer/feeder upgrade required, work order pending” — push to the Chief Engineer (Distribution); also raise a parallel CGRF complaint citing the RTI reply as evidence. - “NOC from neighbour / society pending” — coordinate the NOC; but also ask the DISCOM in writing whether NOC is legally required under the relevant state Supply Code (often it is not for a domestic connection on your own plot). - “DD / fee not realized” — get the bank confirmation of debit, send copy to PIO, ask for new demand note. - “Technical Inspection (TI) backlog” — request fresh TI date in writing; cite the Right of Consumers Rules. - “Line Extension cost dispute” — under Rule 5 of the 2020 Rules, the DISCOM has to bear extension cost up to a notified distance; ask the PIO to cite the exact provision. - “Wrong bill — provisional assessment under §126” — file appeal under §127 of the Electricity Act 2003 within 30 days; the RTI gives you the basis to challenge. ==== Step 8 — File First Appeal if no reply or vague reply ==== A First Appeal is also free, also by registered post, also a 30-day clock. The FAA is the Superintending Engineer / Chief Engineer (O&M) of the Circle: <code> To, The First Appellate Authority (Superintending Engineer — Distribution) [DISCOM name], [Circle name] [full postal address] Subject: First Appeal under §19(1), RTI Act 2005 Sir/Madam, I filed an RTI application dated [original date] (acknowledged by your office on [AD date]). The 30-day reply window under §7(1) ended on [day 30]. I have received [no reply / a vague reply not addressing my questions]. I therefore file a First Appeal under §19(1) of the RTI Act 2005. I attach: (a) copy of the original RTI, (b) postal AD acknowledgement, © the PIO's reply if any. I request that the FAA direct the PIO to provide the information sought, and pass any further orders the FAA deems fit, including action under §20 for the deemed refusal. [Signature] </code> If the FAA also fails to respond in 45 days (the §19(6) cap), file a Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC) of your state — every state has one. Most accept e-filing. Hearings are mostly by video conference now. ===== Common rejection counters ===== PIOs sometimes try to refuse with these grounds. Each one is wrong for an electricity-connection RTI; here is the counter: * “§8(1)(d) — commercial confidence.” Invalid. Your own connection file, the load sanction memo, and the TI report are about your service. The DISCOM is a public authority under §2(h) of the RTI Act — see Reliance Energy Ltd v. CIC, Bombay HC, and many CIC orders on BSES/MSEDCL. * “§8(1)(e) — fiduciary relationship.” Invalid for member-only data. Aditya Bandopadhyay v. CBSE (2011) 8 SCC 497 settles this — your own records held by a public authority must be disclosed to you on request. * “§8(1)(j) — personal information.” Frequently misapplied to refuse names of dealing JE/AE. Subhash Chandra Agrawal rulings narrow this — names of public servants doing official duty are out of scope. * “Approach the CGRF first.” Not a valid ground for refusing an RTI. The CGRF is for grievance redressal under §42(5). The RTI is a parallel right under a different Act. Both can run together. * “Private DISCOM, RTI Act doesn't apply.” Wrong. Tata Power, Adani Electricity, BSES, Torrent Power — all are substantially financed / licensed distribution companies and have been held to be public authorities within §2(h) by multiple CIC and High Court orders (see Sarbajit Roy v. DERC, CIC, and the 2022 Bombay HC ruling on Adani Electricity). ===== After-filing escalation map ===== - PIO (Executive Engineer / Manager Customer Care, zonal office) — 30 days - §19(1) First Appeal to the FAA (Superintending Engineer / Chief Engineer Circle) — 30 days to file, 30+15 days to decide - §19(3) Second Appeal to the State Information Commission (SIC) — no fee, e-filing accepted - Parallel CGRF complaint under §42(5) — 45 days - Ombudsman / Electricity Ombudsman appointed by the SERC — appeal from CGRF - State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) — for tariff/policy disputes (TNERC, MERC, KERC, DERC, etc.) - §127 appeal to the appellate authority for §126 assessment cases — 30 days ===== Related ===== * RTI in 12 simple steps — the universal beginner's guide * All helplines — DISCOM, water, gas, central + state * RTI forms + fees by state — IPO / DD / court-fee guidance * RTI for delayed water connection — sibling guide * RTI for delayed PNG / LPG connection — sibling guide * RTI for stuck PF withdrawal — same template, different domain * Central Electricity Regulatory Commission — for inter-state / tariff issues * Ministry of Power — Right of Consumers Rules 2020 Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. If you spot an out-of-date phone number, portal name or office address, please post on the Q&A forum or write to admin@bighelpers.in.

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