ACCOUNTS OFFICER Vs. ISMAIL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS appeal is filed by the opposite parties in C.D. No. 86/1992 on the file of District Forum, Nizamabad.

(2.) THE complainant, a small businessman, has two telephones, one at his shop and the other telephone bearing No. 23178 is at his residence, which is provided with STD facility. He had been paying his telephone bills regularly which were never very high. He, however, received a bill dated 1.3.1992 for a sum of Rs. 9,407/ - which was very high and as such he approached the opposite parties to rectify the same but since it was not done, he approached the District Forum. The opposite parties in their counter denied the allegation that the bill was excessive since the highest bill earlier paid by the complainant was Rs. 1,492/ - and since the complainant is a businessman and as per the M.L.O.E. record of the department, the complainant used the STD facility extensively and hence the bill issued was correct.

(3.) THE District Forum after going through the records and hearing the arguments came to the conclusion that there was deficiency in service on the part of the opposite parties and accordingly directed the opposite parties to collect double the amount of the highest bill of the complainant, which comes to Rs. 2,984/ - instead of Rs. 9,407/ -.