Jharkhand State Elect.Board & Ors vs M/S Laxmi Business & Cement ...

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision that the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) could not charge tariffs contrary to the 2004 Tariff Schedule established under Section 86 of the Electricity Act, 2003. The Court ruled that the HT Agreement from 1994 was superseded by the new tariff regulations, and thus, the JSEB's reliance on Clause 4(c) of the Agreement was invalid. The Court affirmed the High Court's order quashing the excess bills raised by JSEB, emphasizing the primacy of the statutory tariff framework over prior agreements.