Consumer forum pulls up CGM of Chennai Telephones

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JUNE 2. A consumer forum in the city has pulled up the Chief General Manager (CGM) of Chennai Telephones for not ``complying with its order to pay compensation and rental refund'' to a woman consumer for non-functioning of her telephone connection for a month.

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (South), comprising Mr. K. Ramasamy, president, and Mrs. K. Neelavathi Bai, Member, had on April 3, directed the CGM to pay a compensation of Rs. 10,000 and to refund the rent and tariff charges of Rs.3,306 with costs to Ms. Swarnalaxmi of Todhunter Nagar, Saidapet, within a month. It held that the complainant was eligible to claim rental rebate for the said period, as it was not a case of suspension of service but a deficiency in service.

As the order had not been complied with, the subscriber filed an execution petition. The Forum president on Thursday asked the City police commissioner ``to arrest the official and produce him before the Forum on or before July 3''.

In her original complaint, the consumer said that her telephone connection went out of order on March 13, 1998. She had made several complaints between March 13 and April 15, 1998. She sought compensation and rebate for the non-functioning of the connection. The Chennai Telephones CGM countered that the complaint was false, but admitted that no calls were entered in the particular meter between the two dates.

The Forum said that if the department's contention that the fault was cleared was true, then there should be at least some calls for the said period. As there was no call for a month, it only showed that the authorities had not cleared it. Even after notice, as per the CGM's version itself, the fault was attended to on April 20, 1998 only. The official also did not deny that the complainant's husband was a heart patient. The non- functioning of the telephone was a mental strain for any consumer, the Forum said. The complainant was entitled for the compensation and refund of tariff and rental charges.

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