Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport told to put up details of power meters on website

In a move that could help curb bogus electric meters, the state information commission has asked Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) to put up electric meter number, consumer meter number, building name, and consumer’s name and address on its website.

The order for the same was issued by state chief information commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad on December 12 after an application filed by Shree Naik. Naik, landlord of a building in Dadar,  had sought information from BEST. He wanted names of people to whom electric meters in his building belonged.

BEST, in turn, asked Naik to provide the meter number or consumer number so that it could tell Naik whom the meters in his buildings belong to. “How can one have the meter number and consumer number of any person or party? The BEST was expecting me to give details of something which I do have,” said Naik.

He said he wanted those details from the undertaking as there are tenants who either move out or allow others to move in by sub-letting of the property or those whose parents have passed away and they have not changed the property into their name.They do not tell me about these changes and that’s the reason I wanted the meter numbers,” said Naik.

He said he wanted to know who was occupying the space and have meters. “Since this is the e-governance age, ideally they should have put up all this information on their website,” said Naik.

In the order, the commission stated that the information should have been provided by the public information officer. Stating that the information is also of public interest, it has now asked BEST to put up all the information by January 31, 2014, on its website and inform the commission of compliance.

BEST general manager O P Gupta could not be contacted for comment.