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Section 50: The Electricity Supply Code

Electricity Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 2003
Section 49 All 185 Sections of Electricity Act Section 51

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 50

Section 50 of the Electricity Act, 2003 mandates the State Commission to specify the Electricity Supply Code, providing a comprehensive regulatory code governing recovery of electricity charges, disconnection protocols, meter tampering, unauthorized use under Section 126, and theft investigations under Section 135.

  • Mandatory Statutory Duty to Enact Electricity Supply Code: Obligates the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) to publish a comprehensive Electricity Supply Code establishing standardized operational rules across all distribution licensees in the State.
  • Exhaustive Procedural Regulation of Billing, Disconnection, and Meters: Specifies binding procedural safeguards governing meter testing, billing error rectifications, security deposits, mandatory statutory disconnection notices, and service restoration timelines.
  • Regulatory Harmonization with Anti-Theft and Misuse Provisions: Establishes procedural protocols for inspection, assessment of unauthorized use under Section 126, and detection and seizure in theft cases under Section 135, safeguarding consumer rights against arbitrary utility harassment.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Southern Electricity Supply Co. of Orissa Ltd. (SOUTHCO) v. Sri Seetaram Rice Mill (2012) 2 SCC 108: The Supreme Court held that the Electricity Supply Code framed under Section 50 provides the regulatory operational backbone of the Act, establishing the detailed statutory mechanism for inspecting premises and assessing unauthorized use of electricity.
  • West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. v. Anwar Ali (2007) 11 SCC 753: The Supreme Court affirmed that the provisions of the Electricity Supply Code framed under Section 50 have statutory force of law, and distribution licensees must strictly follow prescribed inspection and disconnection rules before disrupting power supply.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

In unauthorized use (Section 126) or theft (Section 135) litigations, meticulously review the inspection report and seizure memo against the mandatory procedures prescribed in the State's Section 50 Supply Code; procedural non-compliance such as failure to supply inspection reports or absent independent witnesses invalidates assessments.

Section 49 All 185 Sections of Electricity Act Section 51