A Kerala consumer commission has held the state water authority liable for deficiency in service, directing it to pay Rs 25,000 to a man who faced severe billing chaos after it allegedly issued fluctuating bills, including an inflated bill, showed a sudden Rs 13,380 credit balance, and then raised an arrear demand of Rs 7,412 .

President Bindu R and members Beena M and A S Subhagan of the Wayanad District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission were hearing a complaint filed by a man claiming that the Kerala Water Authority had issued incorrect, inflated water bills due to computer software errors and had also erased an entry of Rs 13,380 that was earlier shown to be paid to him by the authority.

“The staff of the opposite party (Kerala Water Authority) cannot be mechanical and idle in performing their duty properly, entrusting everything to the software.…