In Brief
A small-scale industrial consumer of the Jharkhand State Electricity Board sought to reduce its sanctioned load from 4000 KVA to 1325 KVA. The Board refused, citing a three-year lock-in clause in the most recent enhancement agreement. The Supreme Court held that successive load enhancement agreements for the same connection should be treated as amendments to the initial agreement, not independent fresh agreements. Therefore, the three-year period under the Regulations applies from the original connection date, not the latest enhancement. Since the reduction application was filed after three years from the initial agreement, it should have been allowed. The appeal was dismissed, and the consumer's application was deemed approved under the electricity regulations.
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