ABDUL AZIZ MOHERBAKSH Vs. MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE NIGAM LIMITED

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS writ petition is directed against an award passed by Shri Vinod Kumar, Deputy General Manager (M. K. I. G. and P. R.), an arbitrator having been appointed by the Chairman and Managing Director, Mahanager Telephone Nigam Ltd. Bombay, (M. T. N. L. for short) vide order dated 18-1-1993 in exercise of powers conferred under section 7-B of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885) for determination of dispute resulting from the disconnection of the telephone on the ground that the petitioner had failed to pay a sum of Rs. 44,740. 00 pursuant to the demand note sent by the respondent No. 1.

(2.) THE controversy involved in this writ petition centres around the problem of excess billing and failure on the part of the respondent No. 1 (M. T. N. L) to provide relief to the subscriber after making proper investigation.

(3.) AS narrated by the petitioner, he is a sole proprietor of M/s. Bharat International having his office at 6/8 V. S. Road, Bombay 16. Respondent No. 1 is a Government of India owned and controlled undertaking and was formed to take over inter alia the conducting of telephone services in Bombay from Bombay Telephones which was functioning as a department of Government of India and now vested with the monopoly of providing Telephone services. The petitioner had obtained the telephone connection in their above commercial premises and is a subscriber of telephone which bears No. 453882.