MANGAL SAIN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) First Appeal Nos.418 and 419 of 1992 preferred by the same appellants are directed against the virtually identical orders of the District Forum both dated the 18th of November, 1992. The parties are agreed that this order will govern both of them.

(2.) At the very outset it may be noticed that somewhat curiously these appeals are being preferred against the order allowing the complaints preferred by the appellant in the terms, he had prayed for. It, therefore, suffices to notice the facts and merits in their barest outline.

(3.) The appellant was apparently aggrieved with regard to the excessive billing for telephone charges for his telephone No.3670atkarnal. It is manifest from the order under appeal that during the course of the hearing, the primal grievance on behalf of the complainant-appellant was raised that the respondents had failed to refer the dispute to the arbitrators as they were allegedly bound to do under the terms and conditions of the grant of the telephone. The District Forum without more acceded to the said plea of the appellant and directed as under: "in the result this complaint is partly allowed in the manner and to the extent that the opposite party shall compensate the consumer by referring the dispute of excessive billing raised by him to the arbitrator for final adjudication in accordance with the contract of service within a period of one month. "