1. Heard Mr. Navniti Prasad Singh, learned counsel appearing in support of the writ petition and Mr. Vinay Kirti Singh, learned counsel for the Board.

2. In this case the Board seems to have acted with gross irregularity as a result of which the petitioner who is a domestic consumer with a load of 1 KW was subjected to great harassment. The meter installed at the residence of the petitioner went out of order and the Board started billing him on an average of 113 units per month. According to the petitioner, the Board had taken a very high figure for average billing and the actual consumption of the petitioner was much lower. As a result of the average billing outstanding dues against the petitioner amounted to around Rs. 5000/- by February 1997. At that stage being threatened with the disconnection of line he made an ad hoc payment of Rs. 3000/-. He also purchased a meter at his own cost and after it was passed by the Board, the meter was installed on 8.3.1997. Notwithstanding the installation of a new meter and the repeated protests made by the petitioner, the Board continued to raise bills on the basis of the average of 113 units per month and it was only after three and