MAHANAGAR TELEPHONE NIGAM LTD Vs. JAGDISH RAM KATARIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present appeal has been filed assailing the order of the District Forum-V dated 18.9.1998, passed in Complaint Case No.66/98 (1511/96) entitled Shri Jagdish Ram Kataria V/s. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.

(2.) The relevant facts, in brief, are that the respondent had filed a complaint under Sec.12 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'), before the District Forum, stating therein that the Telephone No.7271996 had been installed at his residential premises on 17.7.1996. It was alleged that no bills had been received in respect of the telephone and no Telephone Directory had been supplied to him at the time of the installation of the said telephone. The respondent had, therefore, filed the complaint before the District Forum for the redressal of his grievances.

(3.) The defence of the appellant/mtnl in its reply/written version filed before the District Forum was, that the Directory was out of stock and as such could not be supplied to the respondent and that as soon as new Directories were printed the same would be supplied to the respondent immediately. It was further stated by the appellant/mtnl that in the absence of a Telephone Directory, the subscriber is entitled to use the services of 197 (Directory enquiry) free of charge and as such no inconvenience was being caused to the respondent in the absence of a Telephone Directory.