Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission

Consumer Advocacy

Consumer Advocacy - An Introduction

The Consumer Advocacy Cell (CAC) was established under the AERC in February, 2005. The main objective of this is to involve consumers in the power sector reform process in Assam through active participation in the public hearings conducted by the Commission and other- discussions to be organized by the Commission. CAC will endeavor to protect the interests of consumers and make their voice heard in the processes relating to activities of the Commission.

Background: The Commission was feeling handicapped due to lack of information and feedback from the consumers directly regarding quality of service and related satisfaction level. The Commission has been traditionally depending on the data and information furnished by ASEB. Now five more entities have been formed and information is coming from them also. As is perhaps natural, such feedback can often be perceived as biased in favour of the suppliers themselves, even if on close scrutiny it is not found to be so.

Other sources of information such as the newspapers and television are useful but coverage of matters relating to electricity are often sporadic in nature; for verification and authentication of these reports often one has to depend on ASEB or supplier sources only. Also, the Commission felt that the benefits of various Regulations could reach the common consumers only when they became aware of their rights and obligations.

Therefore, to address the matter at the right earnest an initiative was taken by the Commission to constitute a Consumer Advocacy Cell. The Cell recognizes interested consumer groups as authorize representatives of electricity consumers of designated areas preferably at the district and electricity division level of licensees. Accordingly, the Commission fixed some eligibility criteria for consumer groups to be empanelled with the Cell and an advertisement inviting application from consumers for empanelment was published in the local newspapers.