Chapter VIII ADVISORY COMMITTEE, STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE AND DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION BY LICENSEES

(1) The Commission shall by notification in the Official Gazette, and in consultation with the State Government constitute an Advisory Committee.

(2) (a) The Advisory Committee shall consist of not less than five and not more than fifteen members;

(b) The constitution of the Advisory Committee shall be as follows:-

(i) The Chairperson and members of the Commission shall be the Chairperson and members of the Committee, ex-officio.

(ii) Other members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Commission from amongst persons who are interested in the electricity industry in the State.

(3) The Committee shall meet at least once in every three months.

(4) The term of office of the members of the Committee shall be three years.

(5) Subject to sub-section (3), the Committee shall meet at such times and places and observe such rules of procedure in regard to transaction of its business at its meetings as may be determined by it.

(6) The Committee shall advise the Commission-

(a) on questions of policy relating to electricity industry, and

(b) on any matter including the matter relating to quality, continuity and extent of the service of transmission, distribution or supply of electricity provided by a licensee or compliance of terms and conditions of licence by him which the Commission may refer to it for advice.

(1) The Commission may, after consultation with the Advisory Committee, the licensees and persons likely to be affected, by an order,-

(a) lay down-

(i) such standards of overall performance in connection with the transmission, distribution or supply of electricity as, in its opinion is necessary for the licensee to achieve,

(ii) such standards in connection with efficient use of electricity by consumers as in its opinion are necessary:

Provided that such standards, shall, so far as may be, consistent with the standards set up for the electricity industry by -

(i) Central Electricity Authority constituted under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948.

(ii) Bureau of Indian Standards established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986,

(iii) Central Electricity Regulatory Commission established under the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998,

(b) specify power system operation standards and codes including grid codes and distribution and supply codes to be complied with by licensees,

(c) specify safety regulations in the use of electricity and for operation of the power system.

(2) The Commission may lay down different standards and codes for different licensees.

(3) The Commission shall publish standards, codes and regulations laid down under sub-section (1) in such form and in such manner as it thinks fit.

The Commission may, after consultation with the Advisory Committee, licensees supplying electricity and persons likely to be affected, specify by regulations the circumstances in which such licensees shall inform consumers of electricity of their rights in relation to supply of electricity to them and compensation to be paid by such licensees to consumers for any delay or default by such licensees in supplying electricity to the consumers.

(1) The Commission may from time to time collect information with respect to:-

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

(b) the levels of performance achieved by such licensees in connection with the transmission, distribution and supply of electricity; and

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

(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1) each licensee shall, on or before such date in each year as may be specified by the Commission in a direction issued in that behalf, furnish to the Commission the following information with respect to each standard laid down under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 42, namely:-

(a) the number of cases in which penalties are levied and the aggregate value thereof, and

(b) such information regarding the level of performance achieved by a licensee as required by the direction.

(3) The Commission may at least once in every year publish in such form and in such manner as it may deem fit such of the information collected by or furnished to it under this section as deemed fit.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, no information relating to business of generation, transmission or distribution and supply of electricity carried on by any person shall be disclosed by the Commission without the consent of the person so long as the business is carried on if such information-

(a) is obtained by the Commission by or under this Act, and

(b) is confidential in nature.

(2) The restriction imposed by sub-section (1) shall not apply to the disclosure of such information-

(a) in any suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding,

(b) for the purposes of the State,

(c) before any authority established by law, or

(d) in public interest, or

(e) in the annual report referred to in section 48.