Surat
Surat: The Navsari District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (CDRC) has held a solar equipment dealer liable for the loss of a govt subsidy after it failed to submit mandatory documents to Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (DGVCL).The forum directed the dealer to complete the subsidy application process within 45 days, failing which he must pay Rs 78,000—the subsidy amount—to the customer.The complainant, Abdul Samad Shaikh of Navsari, had paid Rs 3.51 lakh to Vipul Powertech Solutions for the installation of a rooftop solar system. According to the complaint, the dealer had assured him that it would submit all necessary documents to DGVCL to enable him to receive a govt subsidy of Rs 78,000.However, despite installing the system, the dealer allegedly failed to upload the required documents, including the agreement, installation details and inspection report, to the discom. After receiving no response even after serving a legal notice in Oct 2025, Shaikh approached the consumer forum seeking the subsidy amount along with Rs 30,000 as compensation for harassment and litigation expenses.The dealer neither filed a reply nor appeared before the commission, prompting the forum to proceed ex parte.During the hearing, the complainant’s counsel argued that under the applicable govt guidelines, it was the dealer’s responsibility to upload all required documents to the discom through its registered user ID and password. A subsidy status report submitted before the commission showed that several mandatory documents had not been uploaded.Relying on the payment receipt of Rs 3.51 lakh and the documentary evidence produced by the complainant, the commission held the dealer responsible for the delay in processing the subsidy. It directed the dealer to submit the pending documents to DGVCL within 45 days. If it fails to do so, the dealer will have to pay Rs 78,000 to the complainant.
