Manipur High Court
Sanasam Chaoba Singh vs State Of Manipur on 14 July, 2026
Author: A. Guneshwar Sharma
Bench: A. Guneshwar Sharma
2026:MNHC:131-DB
Item No. 1 - 2 (Supplementary)
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MANIPUR
AT IMPHAL
PIL No. 10 of 2026
1. Sanasam Chaoba Singh, aged about 75 years, son
of Late S. Tomba Singh, a resident of Singjamei Okram
Leikai (Sanasam Kollup), P.O. & P.S. Singjamei, Imphal
West District, Manipur - 795008, presently serving as the
President of the All Manipur Power Consumer Association
(AMPCA).
2. Shri Konthoujam Sanatomba Singh, aged about 72
years, S/o late K. Mani Singh, a resident of Wangkhei
Meihoubam Lampak, P.O. & P.S. Porompat, Imphal East
District, Manipur - 795005, presently serving as the
General Secretary of the All Manipur Power Consumer
Association (AMPCA).
... Petitioners
- Versus -
1. State of Manipur, represented by the Principal
Secretary (Power), Government of Manipur, New Civil
Secretariat, Mantripukhri, P.O. Mantripukhri, P.S. New
Secretariat, Imphal East District, Manipur - 795002.
2. Manipur State Power Distribution Company
Limited (MSPDCL), 3rd Floor, New Secretariat Building,
New 2nd M.R. Gate, Imphakl - Dimapur Road, Imphal,
Manipur - 795001.
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2026:MNHC:131-DB
3. Manipur Electricity Regulatory Commission
(JERC), represented by its Secretary, New Civil
Secretariat, Mantripukhri, P.O. Mantripukhri, P.S. New
Secretariat, Imphal East District, Manipur - 795002.
4. Union of India, represented by the Secretary,
Ministry of Power, Government of India, Shram Shakti
Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi - 110001.
5. Managing Director, Manipur State Power
Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) Secure Office
Complex, 3rd Floor, AT Line, North AOC, Imphal West,
Manipur - 795001.
(Respondent No. 5 is impleaded as per order dated
14.07.2026 made in PIL No. 10 of 2026 tagged with
MC(PIL) No. 13 of 2026)
... Respondents
With
MC(PIL) No. 13 of 2026
1. Sanasam Chaoba Singh, aged about 75 years, son
of Late S. Tomba Singh, a resident of Singjamei Okram
Leikai (Sanasam Kollup), P.O. & P.S. Singjamei, Imphal
West District, Manipur - 795008, presently serving as the
President of the All Manipur Power Consumer Association
(AMPCA).
2. Shri Konthoujam Sanatomba Singh, aged about 72
years, S/o late K. Mani Singh, a resident of Wangkhei
Meihoubam Lampak, P.O. & P.S. Porompat, Imphal East
District, Manipur - 795005, presently serving as the
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2026:MNHC:131-DB
General Secretary of the All Manipur Power Consumer
Association (AMPCA).
... Applicants
- Versus -
1. State of Manipur, represented by the Principal
Secretary (Power), Government of Manipur, New Civil
Secretariat, Mantripukhri, P.O. Mantripukhri, P.S. New
Secretariat, Imphal East District, Manipur - 795002.
2. Manipur State Power Distribution Company
Limited (MSPDCL), 3rd Floor, New Secretariat Building,
New 2nd M.R. Gate, Imphakl - Dimapur Road, Imphal,
Manipur - 795001.
3. Manipur Electricity Regulatory Commission
(JERC), represented by its Secretary, New Civil
Secretariat, Mantripukhri, P.O. Mantripukhri, P.S. New
Secretariat, Imphal East District, Manipur - 795002.
4. Union of India, represented by the Secretary,
Ministry of Power, Government of India, Shram Shakti
Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi - 110001.
5. Managing Director, Manipur State Power
Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) Secure Office
Complex, 3rd Floor, AT Line, North AOC, Imphal West,
Manipur - 795001.
(Respondent No. 5 is impleaded as per order dated
14.07.2026 made in PIL No. 10 of 2026 tagged with
MC(PIL) No. 13 of 2026)
... Respondents
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2026:MNHC:131-DB
BEFORE
HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR. M. SUNDAR
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A. GUNESHWAR SHARMA
For petitioners/applicants : Mr. M. Rakesh, Advocate
For respondent : Mr. S. Chittaranjan, Additional
Advocate General, Manipur along with
Mr. A. Priyokumar, Advocate for
respondent Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5.
: Mr. W. Darakeshwar, Senior Panel
Counsel for Central Government for
respondent No. 4.
Date of order : 14.07.2026
O R D E R
[M. Sundar, CJ]
[1] The following abbreviations/short forms have been used
in this order (for the sake of brevity, convenience and clarity):
Sl. No. Abbreviation/Short
Form/other short Full Form/Expansion
references
1. MSPDCL Manipur State Power Distribution
Company Limited
2. RDSS Revamped Distribution Sector
Scheme
3. PiL Public Interest Litigation
4. R1 respondent No. 1
5. R2 respondent No. 2
6. R3 respondent No. 3
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7. R4 respondent No. 4
8. R5 respondent No. 5
9. AMPCA All Manipur Power Consumer
Association
10. MnERC Manipur Electricity Regulatory
Commission
11. AoP Association of persons
12. Sr. PCCG Senior Panel Counsel for Central
Government
13. said representation representation dated 19.06.2026
sent by AMPCA to R5
[2] Captioned PiL is in the Admission Board today. Mr. M.
Rakesh, learned counsel on record for PiL petitioners is before this
Court (Physical Court).
[3] Subject matter of captioned PiL is installation of Smart
Prepaid Electricity Metres in some of Imphal Electricity Divisions under
RDSS which is a centrally sponsored scheme.
[4] Mr. M. Rakesh, learned counsel for PiL petitioners, at the
outset, submitted that AMPCA is an unincoporated AoP in terms of legal
character, PiL petitioner No. 1 and PiL petitioner No. 2 are President
and General Secretary respectively of AMPCA.
[5] As regards afore-referred announcement of MSPDCL
regarding installation of Smart Prepaid Electricity Metres in Imphal
Electrical Division Nos. I, II and III under RDSS scheme, a public notice
dated 09.07.2025 was issued. Learned counsel drew the attention of
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2026:MNHC:131-DB
this Court to this public notice and scanned reproduction of the same
is as follows:
[6] Learned counsel for PiL petitioners, thereafter, drew the
attention of this Court to another public notice issued by MSPDCL (to
be noted, public notice published in newspapers is learned counsel’s
say) and scanned reproduction of subsequent public notice (as placed
before this Court by PiL petitioners) is as follows:
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2026:MNHC:131-DB[7] Adverting to afore-referred two public notices, learned
counsel for PiL petitioners submitted that while the former is
voluntary/optional qua consumers, the latter is involuntary/compulsory
qua consumers. Be that as it may, before proceeding further, it is
deemed appropriate to record that learned counsel drew the attention
of this Court to a notification dated 24.03.2026 bearing reference No.
40/1/2026-MnERC and submitted that President of AMPCA (ex-officio)
has been made a member of a 20 member committee constituted by
MnERC. This submission was made only to buttress and drive home the
point that AMPCA has been duly recognized even by MnERC. To be
noted, this is on locus. Reverting to the core issue at hand, Mr. M.
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2026:MNHC:131-DBRakesh, learned counsel for PiL petitioners very fairly submitted that
PiL petitioners are concerned/aggrieved only by one aspect of the latter
public notice i.e., that part of the latter public notice which says that
non-compliance or refusal will be treated as a punishable offence under
Electricity Act, 2003 and may lead to immediate disconnection without
further notice. To be noted, this is the last bullet point in the latter
public notice which has been scanned and reproduced supra.
[8] Issue notice. [9] Mr. S. Chittaranjan, learned Additional Advocate General
for the State of Manipur along with Mr. A. Priyokumar, learned State
counsel accept notice for R-1 to R-3 and Mr. W. Darakeshwar, learned
Sr. PCCG accepts notice for R-4.
[10] Learned State counsel pointed out that AMPCA appears to
have sent a representation dated 19.06.2026 to Managing Director of
MSPDCL as the same has been annexed as Annexure – A/2 to the PiL
petition by the PiL petitioners.
[11] Responding to the above, learned counsel for PiL
petitioners submitted that afore-referred ‘19.06.2026 representation’
(‘said representation’ for the sake of convenience and clarity as set out
in the tabulation supra) was dispatched by Speed Post and has been
received by the addressee i.e., Managing Director of MSPDCL on
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2026:MNHC:131-DB22.06.2026. Scanned reproduction of said representation as placed
before this Court is as follows:
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2026:MNHC:131-DBP a g e 10 | 14
2026:MNHC:131-DB[12] As regards the limited grievance of PiL petitioners, learned
counsel for PiL petitioners submitted that the limited grievance i.e. the
last bullet point in the latter public notice (as already adverted to supra)
can be correlated to second bullet point in the last page of said
representation. Learned counsel also very fairly submitted that for the
present, it will suffice if there is a direction to Managing Director,
MSPDCL to consider and dispose of the said representation in this
regard and added that PiL petitioners are not opposed to technological
transition and are not wholly opposed to installation of Smart Prepaid
Electricity Metres under RDSS.
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2026:MNHC:131-DB[13] In the light of the vastly descoped perimeter of captioned
PiL and in the light of the limited prayer that learned counsel for PiL
petitioner is making for the present, main PiL and captioned MC thereat
were taken up with the consent of learned counsel on both sides
particularly with the consent of learned State counsel dispensing with
filing of affidavits-in-opposition and captioned PiL and MC thereat are
being disposed of vide instant order.
[14] In the light of the narrative and discussions thus far, the
following order is made:
(a) Managing Director of MSPDCL is Suo-moto added as
R-5 in captioned PiL and MC and learned Additional
Advocate General, Mr. S. Chittaranjan along with Mr. A.
Priyokumar accept notice for R-5 also (Registry to make
necessary and consequential amendment/s in case file and
Registry to reflect the same in instant order before
uploading in official website of this Court or furnishing
certified copies of this order);
(b) R-5 is directed to dispose said representation
(representation dated 19.06.2026 which is scanned and
reproduced supra) on its own merits and in accordance
with law with reference to the lone grievance of the PiL
petitioners i.e., grievance that non-compliance shall be
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2026:MNHC:131-DBtreated a punishable offence under Electricity Act, 2003
and dispose of the representation as expeditiously as
official business for R-5 would permit but in any event
within 8 (eight) weeks from today i.e. on or before
08.09.2026;
(c) disposal of said representation in the aforesaid
manner (on its own merit and in accordance with law) by
R-5 shall be by way of a written speaking order and the
written speaking order shall be communicated to AMPCA
at Wangkhei Meihoubam Lampak, Imphal East District,
Manipur – 795001 under due acknowledgement within 5
(five) working days from the date of disposal;
(d) on disposal of said representation in the aforesaid
manner, if the PiL petitioners or any other person/s
concerned with the matter is/are either not satisfied or
aggrieved, it is open to such person/s to come to this Court
or approach any other appropriate Fora in accordance with
law as may be permissible. If such a scenario unfurls, this
Court and/or any other competent Forum/Fora shall
consider the matter on its own merits and in accordance
with law untrammeled by instant order;
(e) to be noted, for the present R-4 is only formal party.
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2026:MNHC:131-DB
[15] Captioned PiL and MC thereat are disposed of as closed in
aforesaid manner i.e., with afore-referred observations and directions.
There shall be no order as to costs.
JUDGE CHIEF JUSTICE FR/NFR Bipin P.S. I : Upload forthwith. P.S. II : All concerned will stand bound by web copy uploaded in High Court
website inter alia as the same is QR coded.
Digitally signed by
KHOIROM KHOIROM
BIPINCHAN BIPINCHANDRA
SINGH
DRA SINGH Date: 2026.07.14
20:35:36 +05’30’
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