Punishment for non-compliance of orders or directions
Section 146 of the Electricity Act, 2003 deals with punishment for non-compliance of orders or directions. Whoever, fails to comply with any order or direction given under this Act, within such time as may be specified in the said order or direction or contravenes or attempts or abets the contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any rules or regulations made thereunder, shall be punishable w The Act came into force on 10 Jun 2003.
Whoever, fails to comply with any order or direction given under this Act, within such time as may be specified in the said order or direction or contravenes or attempts or abets the contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any rules or regulations made thereunder, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both in respect of each offence and in the case of a continuing failure, with an additional fine which may extend to five thousand rupees for every day during which the failure continues after conviction of the first such offence:
1 [Provided that nothing contained in this section shall apply to the orders, instructions or directions issued under section 121.]
Section 146, The Electricity Act, 2003 (Act 36 of 2003).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
-
The Executive Engineer (Elect.), Khurda Electrical Division, TPCODL v. M/s. Mahalaxmi Stone, Khurda
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Electricity Act s.146 punishes non-compliance of court/quasi-judicial directions; when a Sub-Collector (quasi-judicial) directs TPCODL to disconnect supply, the licensee must comply irrespective of OERC temporary-disconnection Regulations 172–174, and demand charges under Regulation 143/agreement continue during such forced disconnection.
On this section: s.146 supplies the criminal sanction for failing to comply with orders/directions under the Act, including quasi-judicial disconnect directions binding on the licensee.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Made under this section, and citing it
4 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
- Madhya Pradesh Intimation of Electrical Accidents (Form and services of notice)Rules,2016Rule 2016
- The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Distribution Performance Standards) Regulations, 2010Regulation 2010
- JERC Notification dated 31.07.2009Notification 2009
- Central Electricity Authority (Furnishing of Statistics, Returns & Information) Regulations, 2007Regulation 2007
Questions about Section 146
What have the courts held on Section 146 of the Electricity Act?
The Executive Engineer (Elect.), Khurda Electrical Division, TPCODL v. M/s. Mahalaxmi Stone, Khurda (29 Apr 2025) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.146 supplies the criminal sanction for failing to comply with orders/directions under the Act, including quasi-judicial disconnect directions binding on the licensee.
How do I find court cases under Section 146 of the Electricity Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Electricity Act 2003 146, section 146 Electricity Act 2003, section 146 of the Electricity Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with The Executive Engineer (Elect.), Khurda Electrical Division, TPCODL v. M/s. Mahalaxmi Stone, Khurda (29 Apr 2025).
What should I read with Section 146 of the Electricity Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 121 (Power of Appellate Tribunal), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 4 instruments name it without being made under it, most recently Madhya Pradesh Intimation of Electrical Accidents (Form and services of notice)Rules,2016 (2016), then The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Distribution Performance Standards) Regulations, 2010 (2010).
When did Section 146 of the Electricity Act come into force?
Section 146 of the Electricity Act, cited as Electricity Act 2003 146, came into force on 10 Jun 2003, having been enacted on 26 May 2003. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.