DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION Vs. GHANSHYAM SINGH RATHAUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Department of telecommunication appeals against the order of the District Forum, Faridabad awarding compensation of Rs.10,000/- in favour of the respondent-consumer and further directing the refund of the billed amount of Rs.4,850/-. The respondent consumer is an Advocate of some standing at Faridabad. He applied for a telephone connection way back on the 22nd of May, 1985 but it was not till the 20th of February, 1992 that the same was installed and made functional. However, to his consternation, it stopped working after 2/3 days and despite persistent written and oral complaints no heed was paid by the appellant-department to rectify the faults therein till nine months later on the 11th of November, 1992.

(2.) In a somewhat cryptic reply filed on behalf of the appellant-department it was vaguely pleaded that the fault in the telephone was attended as soon as it came to the notice of the department. The suggested delay in rectifying the faults was that the office of the respondent remained locked during the day.

(3.) In support of his case, the respondent examined PW1 Mr. Kunj Bihari Lal, an official of the appellant-department, Mr. R. P. Saini, Junior Engineer, PW 3 Amarjit Singh and the complainant himself stepped into the witness-box as PW 4.