Patna, June 29: Power consumers can expect their grievances to be addressed faster as additional district magistrates have been made district-level authorities to hear appeals against fines for alleged power thefts and meter-tampering.

A workshop was conducted for the additional district magistrates (ADMs) at Vidyut Bhavan — the headquarters of Bihar State Power (Holding) Company — today. The workshop sought to give the ADMs an overview of their power.

The ADMs would hear consumers’ appeals on fines imposed for alleged power theft, meter tampering or use of power beyond the permissible limit of load.

North Bihar Power Distribution Company managing director Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said: “The energy department has issued a notification, entrusting ADMs with the responsibility to hear appeals against assessment orders passed by officers of the power company. It would help the consumers as the appeals would be disposed of quickly now.”

Till now, four officers in the rank of executive eng- ineer functioned as the appellate authorities in the divisional headquarters of Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga to attend to the grievances.

A source said the ADMs’ orders on the appeals would be final and cannot be challenged in lower courts. A person can only approach the high court for redressal.