UNION OF INDIA Vs. SATYA BHAMA THAKUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Commission accepted the Miscellaneous Petition and condoned the delay in filing the appeal. There was no need to grant ex-parte stay as the appeal was taken up for disposal at the hearing. Brief facts of the case in appeal are that the telephone of the Respondent before us was disconnected between 1st and 2nd August, 1988 for non-payment of two telephone bills, one dated the 1st of November, 1987 and the second dated the 1st of May, 1988. After the expiry of three months, the Telephone Department allotted the disconnected telephone to another subscriber. The telephone was restored to the appellant on 13th January, 1989 on payment of above mentioned bills and reconnection and other charges. The Respondent herein had complained before the State Commission that the telephone services were deficient "in the quality, nature and manner of performance"; that she had received inflated bills first dated 1st of September, 1986 and also subsequently.

(2.) But the appellant herein, without proper examination, refused to grant her any relief; and that she received a bill for local telephone calls even after the telephone had been disconnected.

(3.) The appellant maintained that the disconnection of telephone was on account of default in payment of the bills and that mater had been checked and found to be correct and therefore, the bills were not inflated and no relief could be granted to the Respondent here and the Complainant before the State Commission.