Month: September 2021

Table of Contents

• What is Mahavitaran?
• How to register in the MSEDCL portal?
• How to calculate billing details?
• How to pay the Mahavitaran bill?
• How to download the Mahavitaran bill and payment receipt?
• How to file a complaint against Mahavitaran?
• FAQs

What is Mahavitaran?

Do we know the governing body that lights all the houses in Maharashtra? The largest distributor of electricity in India, Mahavitaran or Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, is the sole authority that distributes electricity to the entire state of Maharashtra, except a few cities where Reliance, Tata or Adani are substantial distributors. MSEDCL’s power sources are thermal, gas, hydro and non-conventional sources like wind, solar, bagasse, etc.

Earlier, Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) was looking after the electricity in the state. But after the Electricity Act 2003, the board got separated into four parts, viz. MSEB Holding Company Limited, Mahanirmiti or Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MSPGCL), Mahapreshan or Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) and Mahavitaran or Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

How to register in the MSEDCL portal?

Step 1:- Visit the new registration Mahavitaran portal here https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getCreateUpdateCustProfile_new.

Step 2:- Fill in your consumer number, mobile number, email, OTP, login name, new password and confirm your password.

Step 3:- Click on submit, and there you go! Now, you are registered on the portal.

Step 4:– Go to the login page here https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getCustAccountLogin and submit your credentials.

Step 5:- Insert the captcha and click on submit. You will now enter your Mahavitaran account for viewing/paying/printing electricity bills.

How to calculate billing details?

Consumption calculator – It is helpful to calculate the total power consumption of a month. You need to insert the total number of electronic items and the time of their usage present at your house for calculating the consumption. Visit the website here https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getApplianceParticulars to calculate the total power consumption of your home.

Energy bill calculator – After calculating the power consumption details, one has to generate the bill to pay their electricity bills using the energy bill calculator. Visit the website here https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getEnergyBillCalculator to generate your bill based on the power consumed in your house.

How to pay the Mahavitaran bill?

Online method

Step 1:- Enter your consumer details on the Mahavitaran portal https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss_view_pay_bill.aspx and login to your account.

Step 2:- Click on my account and see your account history.

Step 3:- Choose the bill for which you want to make a payment.

Step 4:- Click on make a payment and check the bill details after payment. There are some conditions for making an online payment. Those are-
Maximum of 2 transactions allowed per card per month to pay MSEDCL bills.
International cards are blocked for paying MSEDCL bills.

1. For transactions exceeding Rs 10,000, a 1.2% charge is applicable on the exceeded amount.
2. The billing service is unavailable from 11:40 p.m. to 3:15 a.m. daily.
3. In case of duplicate payment/multiple payments, the credit gets passed to future bills.
4. Do not open more than one payment window for making transactions. It can lead to the failure of transactions.
5. Never share your card details, OTP or PIN with anyone while making a payment.

Step 5:- After successful payment, download the receipt and bill for future references.

Offline method

Visit the nearest subdivision office, along with your bill, and pay them via cash, debit card, credit card, net banking, or other e-wallets.

Using third-party apps

One can also pay bills using third-party apps like Paytm, Amazon, PhonePe, MobiKwik, etc. Login to your respective accounts, submit the details of your electricity bill, and pay.

How to download the Mahavitaran bill and payment receipt?

Step 1:- Visit the official website here: https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss_view_pay_bill.aspx to view/pay the bill.

Step 2:- Choose your consumer type, insert your 12-digit consumer number and insert the captcha as shown.

Step 3:- After submitting the details, your screen displays a soft copy of the bill. Check the details thoroughly.

Step 4:- Choose the bill or the payment receipt option, whatever you want to download.

Step 5:- Click on view printable version, then click on print. A new window will be displayed, asking to save as PDF.

Step 6:- Choose the latest web browser to download the bill on your laptop or phone using the save as PDF option.

How to file a complaint against Mahavitaran?

Step 1:- Visit the official website for registering a complaint here: https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getServiceRequestConsumerDetailsLink.

Step 2:- Enter your consumer number and necessary details.

Step 3:- Fill in your complaint details in the request column and generate OTP.

Step 4:- After submitting the OTP, submit the complaint. Note your complaint/ID number for future reference.

Step 5:- Check your complaint status here https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/wss?uiActionName=getServiceRequestStatusLinkLeft by inserting your complaint number.

FAQs

Can I make payments via the Mahavitaran phone app?

You can make necessary payments, download bills, and view receipts from the Mahavitaran phone app. Download the app from the Google play store or Apple store, log in with your credentials or make a new account, and get access to the facility you want.

How can I make payment of other charges?

Visit the portal here https://otheronlinepayment.mahadiscom.in/OtherReceipts/onlinePayment.jsp and choose the type of payment you want to make. Submit the details and make payment.

How much time does it take to generate the receipt?

The receipt gets generated within three working days from the day payment is made. In case you do not get the receipt, contact the customer care executives.

Where to find the consumer helpline number?

The national toll-free number is 1912/19120, and the MSEDCL number is 1800-102-3435/1800-233-3435. One can use these numbers for assistance.

One can find all the FAQs here: https://wss.mahadiscom.in/wss/images/FAQ%20online%20payment.pdf

Table of Contents

• What is a cheque?
• Characteristics of a cheque
• Depositing vs Cashing a Cheque
• What is a cheque bounce?
• Common reasons for cheque bounce
• What happens when a cheque gets bounced?
• How to file a complaint against cheque bounce?
• FAQs

What is a cheque?

Various modes of payment exist in the present generation. From UPI to net banking, digitisation has ruled them all. Due to restrictions on online transactions up to a certain amount, people use offline methods. The frequently used one for a higher transfer of money is the cheque. It is a mode of payment, particularly a bill of a certain amount, generated by a particular individual to an applicant who demands the amount.

Three parties get involved in total when a cheque has to be issued by the giver for their client:

Drawer – He creates the cheque and is the account holder from which the amount gets deducted.
Drawee – It is the bank where the cheque holder’s account resides. The cheque has to be issued by a specific bank always.
Payee – He is the person/organisation to whom the check has to be issued. If the cheque is a transfer type, then the drawee and the payee can be the same.

Characteristics of a cheque

• The cheque must have a clear signature of the drawer.
• The cheque comes in handy when payable is on-demand.
• The cheque must be of some certain amount of money.
• The cheque must specify the bank.
• The cheque must be in the name of a particular person/organisation.
• The cheque must be in writing.
• The cheque must contain an unconditional order.

Depositing vs Cashing a Cheque

Cashing – One receives the money from the bank when the cheque passes successfully. All you need to do is deposit the cheque at the correct branch of the bank, get the money and spend it accordingly without any limits.
Depositing – It is the process of adding a balance to your account. This process can take up to 24-48 hours for the amount to credit to your bank account.

What is a cheque bounce?

An unpaid cheque returned by the bank to the drawer is a bounced cheque, also called a dishonour of cheque. Many reasons can cause this problem, like insufficient bank balance for a cheque to sanction successfully. The drawee bank returns the failed cheque with a proper memo as soon as the trouble starts.

Common reasons for cheque bounce

• Wrong date of the cheque
• Irregular signatures
• Expired cheque
• Insufficient funds
• Damaged cheque
• The request of stopping the payment
• Overwriting on the cheque
• The amount in words and numbers does not match
• The drawer account is frozen
• The drawer account is closed
• Conflicting cheque number
• Has only one signature when the drawer is a joint account
• The cheque requires any alteration
• The drawer dies
• The drawer becomes insane
• The drawer becomes insolvent
• Is a crossed cheque
• Bank doubts the validity of the cheque
• The cheque issued is against the rules of the trust
• Amount mentioned crosses the limit of the cheque overdraft
• Drawee gives the cheque to the wrong branch of the bank

What happens when a cheque gets bounced?

The bank returns the bounced cheque with a memo to the payee, informing the problems that occurred with the cheque. The payee can resubmit the cheque after solving the issues raised by the bank. If the bank rejects the cheque a second time too, then the payee can suffer these consequences:

• A penalty by the bank
• Damage to the credit history
• Filing of criminal & civil charges by the payee
• Future cheques may face rejection by the bank because of your faulty credit history

How to file a complaint against cheque bounce?

Follow the steps given to file a bounced cheque case:

Step 1:- Send a demand notice.

There is a possibility that the bank may return the bounced cheque. In that case, one must send a notice to the drawer within 30 days after receiving the returned cheque. One can take the help of a lawyer to do so. Legal actions take place within a decided period (usually 15 days) if the notice does not demand the amount from the drawer.

The payee can send the complaint by themselves, but one must take the help of a lawyer for such financial issues.

Step 2:- Needed information has to be stated clearly in the notice

Statement of debt or legally enforceable liability
Demanding the drawer to pay the amount within 15 days
A statement regarding the cheque has to be presented within its period of validity
Information about the dishonour of the cheque as per the bank

Step 3:- Draft the complaint

If the drawer ignores your notice or has refused to pay your sum within 15 days, you can legally file a complaint against them. You can file a complaint when any of the following incidents occur:

• The cheque was presented.
• The cheque was issued.
• The cheque was rejected by the bank.
• A demand notice was given by you to the drawer.

You must have these documents with you to file a complaint:

• Complaint letter
• Oath letter
• Photocopy of all the documents like cheque, memo, acknowledgement receipts and notice copy.

FAQs

How much money do I need to give to file a case?

The complainant needs to pay the court fees for filing a complaint that depends on the bounced cheque’s amount. The fee catalogue is as follows:

• ₹0 to ₹50000 ₹200
• ₹50000 to ₹200000 ₹500
• Above ₹200000 ₹1000

When does a court send notice to the accused?

After the complaint is filed successfully, the court summons the drawer who fails to pay the demanded money.

What is the relevant evidence in a cheque bounce case?

• Cheque
• Cheque return memo
• Record of sending a demand notice to the drawer
• Any other document proving the obligations of the bounced cheque

What is the penalty and punishment for an accused in a cheque bounce case?

A penalty in the form of money is imposed on the drawer if he is found guilty. The amount can be double the bounced cheque. Or, the culprit can also get imprisonment for up to two years.

What is the importance of Memo of Advocate (MoA) in a court procedure?

• After filing the case, all documents are re-checked by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, so all the original documents are required.
• The period of filing a complaint is also checked at this stage.
• Bhatta or the process form is filed along with the address of the accused.
• The court orders the drawer to appear in the court on a specified date.
• Failing to appear on the given, the court can issue a bailable warrant, if requested by the complainant.
• If the accused still refuses to present themselves in court, the court can issue a non-bailable warrant against the accused.

How to file a complaint in a civil suit?

A civil suit can help the payee recover the stuck amount and the amount paid during the litigation. A summary suit under Order- 37 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 can be used to recover the due amount.

What happens when a cheque bounce issue does not resolve?

There are over 40 lakh pending cases as per the reports of the Supreme Court of India. These financial offences are way more common than they should be and play a crucial role in directly affecting our country’s financial ecosystem. There can be many consequences related to this crime. From a heavy penalty to imprisonment, many such punishments are served to those proven guilty of charges.

If the drawee fails to take any legal action against the drawer in the given time limit, the drawee will lose their power to exercise the remedies aided by the court. Therefore, the drawee must tackle a bounced case if they do not wish to lose their hard-earned money.

Exceptions

All the legal remedies have to be provided, only when the pending debt gets successfully cleared. Hence, if the dishonoured cheque gets issued as a gift or donation, the payee cannot legally sue the drawer.

Key points to remember

• The Magistrate may let off the delay of filing a complaint relating to a bounced cheque after the expiry of 30 days only if the reasons for the delay are legitimate.
• The dishonour of cheque due to the stoppage of the payment is covered under section- 138.
• The time limit under the legal notice is not increased at any cost for the drawer (accused).
• The limitation period is three months from the date when the cheque gets issued by the drawer.

Table of Contents

• What is National Consumer Helpline (NCH)?
• What is Voxya?
• Which type of issues do they resolve?
• Where can we contact them?
• How do they solve the issue?
• How much time do they take to solve the issue?
• How can I track the status of my complaint?
• What if my problem is not solved by either of them?

Did the shopkeeper cheat you by giving you the wrong product? Was the quality not up-to-mark? Were the delivered products defective? Now you are worried about how to deal with these problems, right? Don’t worry as there are many facilities in India that will help you come out of this marshland of frauds. Out of them, one is a Government organisation named the National Consumer Helpline, another is a unique platform that helps to resolve the complaints of the customers in no time named Voxya.

What is National Consumer Helpline (NCH)?

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution started an initiative, known as the National Consumer Helpline, to provide guidance, information and advice to the consumers regarding their grievances and concerns.

What is Voxya?

Voxya is an online consumer complaint forum. It enables the user to file consumer complaints against brands quickly. It helps the user in fighting against fraud and unresponsive customer service. Voxya leverages social media, business networks and legal frameworks to resolve consumer complaints in India. It also provides a solution to prepare consumer complaints in the consumer court or consumer forum.

Which type of issues do they resolve?

• Problems related to billing details.
• Banking problems
• Automobiles
• Education
• Medical
• Electrical appliances
• Online payments
• Shopping scams
• Credit card issues
• Bribery issues
• Transport and road problems
• Adulterated eatables
• Online courses/job search websites issues
• Gas/petrol/battery
• Misleading advertisements

Where can we contact them?

National Consumer Helpline –
One can call at 1800-11-4000 or 14404 to contact NCH authorities and file their complaints.
You can also send an SMS on 8130009809.
Visit their official website to file a complaint https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/user/signup.php.
You can also use Umang/Consumer app to report your issues.

Voxya-
One can file a complaint here https://voxya.com/file-consumer-complaint.
To contact Voxya, submit your details here https://voxya.com/contact-us and someone from their team will contact you.

How do they solve the issue?

National Consumer Helpline (NCH) –

NCH has partnered with many proactive companies that tend to resolve consumer complaints within no time. The data of the consumer remains completely confidential in such cases. The problem-solving methodology is an internal process. They do not charge a single penny while handling such cases.

Voxya-

Step 1 – Start social media campaign
Voxya will start a successful social media campaign as soon as you submit your details. Do you need to pay for this? No!

Step 2 – Send complaint by email
Voxya will send an email to the company against whom you are filing the complaint. Is this process also free? Yes, it is!

Step 3 – Send notice via registered post
Voxya charges a fee of Rs 899 for this process. A professional lawyer will prepare and send a legal notice to the company against whom you have filed the complaint.

Step 4 – Approach the Consumer Forum
They charge a fixed fee of Rs 1999 for preparing Case papers so that you can file a consumer forum case. The lawyer will prepare your case which you can file in the consumer forum. You do not have to pay a separate fee of Rs 1299 as stated in step 3 if you choose this option to solve your problem.

How much time do they take to solve the issue?

There is no particular timeline for solving a case. It can take 2-20 days to solve a case, depending upon the response they get from the company against whom you have filed the complaint. If the case goes to the consumer court, then there is no time limit but usually it takes 6 months to 18 months in getting decision.

How can I track the status of my complaint?

National Consumer Helpline – A customer can track the status of their complaint here: https://consumerhelpline.gov.in/user/track-complaint.php by entering the docket number and registered mobile number.

Voxya- Consumers can check the status of their complaints using the following URL: Check Case Status.

Consumers can also login to their accounts and check the status of their consumer complaints.

What if my problem is not solved by either of them?

Firstly, both the authorities will try their best to solve the issues. National Consumer Helpline will take the matter directly with the company’s customer support, however Voxya goes one step further and tries to get resolution by reaching to the higher management through social, business and legal framework. If company is not willing to resolve the mater, Voxya helps in taking legal action and approaching Consumer forum. Hence, chances of getting resolution are better for consumers if they decide to take legal action by approaching consumer courts under the Consumer Protection Act.

Voxya is an online consumer complaints forum trusted by 1 Lacs+ consumers in providing legal solutions to frustrated consumers and helps in resolving consumer complaints.