Delhi Expands Public Utility Services to Include Banking and Gas Supply

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has greenlit the categorization of banking, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and gas supply under the umbrella of public utility services, as announced by Raj Niwas officials on Tuesday.

This strategic move is expected to expedite the resolution of conflicts in these domains, by enabling permanent Lok Adalats to handle disputes more swiftly, they noted.

The Law Department of Delhi had advocated for this change, highlighting an upsurge in cases concerning loan disputes, financial recoveries, service deficiencies, and billing problems in both banking and non-banking sectors. It was argued that these issues could be resolved more effectively outside the traditional court system if recognized as public utility services.

Officials believe such inclusion will empower Lok Adalats to lighten the load on standard courts and deliver accessible, cost-efficient, and timely legal solutions to citizens. This move aligns with the characteristics inherent in public utility services given the volume and nature of related cases.

The high volume of disputes and the financial incapacity of many individuals for lengthy litigations underpin the need for a simplified, affordable dispute resolution method on offer by Lok Adalats. Delhi already hosts three permanent Lok Adalats focusing on electricity disputes with power discoms.

The Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) is also working towards establishing additional permanent Lok Adalats to address other public services like transport, telecom, water, and health among others, according to an official statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)