Compensation for long power cuts; Dilliwallahs say it’s a great move!

The infamous Dilli ki garmi has begun, and with it comes the horror of extended power cuts. However, fret not, Dilliwalahs, as you would be compensated for those long unscheduled outages, starting this summer. The Delhi government’s long-debated policy to compensate consumers for power cuts has finally been cleared. The first-of-its-kind policy has been touted as “a revolutionary and very innovative” decision that would make power distribution companies accountable to the public for the discomfort.

The policy requires power distribution companies to fix any problem within 60 minutes. If that doesn’t work out, they would have to pay a penalty of ₹50 per hour (for the first two hours) to every consumer who files a claim, and a penalty of ₹100 per hour after the first two hours. All Delhiites need to do is log their complaints with the corresponding company in their area as soon as the power supply is disrupted, via a text message to the designated phone number, email, phone app or a website, along with their basic details. All messages will be acknowledged, and the company shall automatically credit the penalty into the account of the consumers without any hassle (after the permissible time limit). This would in turn be adjusted in the consumer’s monthly bill. Cool, right? We asked a few Delhiites what they think about this new policy, and this is what they had to say.

I THINK IT’S A GREAT IDEA!

“I think it’s a great idea! These power cuts have a greater negative influence on people’s lives than one would imagine, and it’s not just restricted to monetary loss. If such a deal for refund does actualise, the average consumer, who feels much aggrieved with the standard of life being provided by those running the country, would definitely take this as a positive statement of intent.” — Anhad Singh Anand, 27, Actor

I HOPE THERE IS NO CATCH IN THIS POLICY

“Power outages are a complete nuisance, and such a policy would ensure that people, at least, get something in return for the discomfort caused. I just hope that this actually materialises and doesn’t have any catch in it.” — Vineet Sehrawat, 27, Entrepreneur

I DON’T SEE A POINT IN THIS

“Sure, this move sounds like a great idea, but I see no real point in this. Does any other service give us compensation for errors that they haven’t introduced themselves? Then why should power companies? I think they should instead have alloted a budget so such cuts don’t happen in the first place.” — Somya Gehlot, 28, Model

FINALLY, SOMEONE THOUGHT OF US

“These days, most policies work more for the companies or organisations involved, and not often do they really benefit the common man. I am glad that, finally, someone thought of us. Let’s wait and watch now; time will tell how much this really works.” — Kunal Dhawan, 28, Aviation Professional

THIS IS HOW A SERVICE IS SUPPOSED TO WORK

“These companies provide us a service, something that we pay for, and if we face any discrepancies on their behalf, we deserve compensation. This is how a service is supposed to work in its truest form. I appreciate this move and hope it helps us all.” — Apoorva Dangi, 26, Teacher

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