HVPN directed to pay Rs 1,000 for issuing wrong bill

PANCHKULA, SEPT 7: The District Consumer Disputes' Redressal Forum has directed the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam HVPN to pay a sum of ...

PANCHKULA, SEPT 7: The District Consumer Disputes8217; Redressal Forum has directed the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam HVPN to pay a sum of Rs 1,000 on account of mental agony and harassment caused to the complainant and to further pay a sum of Rs 250 as costs of proceedings. The orders were passed by the Forum president R. C. Taneja and member B. S. Badhran.

The complainant, Gurnam Singh, a resident of Sector 10 here, had taken two rooms of House No 345 in Sector 10 on rent and was paying the electricity bill regularly, but the HVPN issued an electricity bill No 8819 for payment of Rs 2,102 without showing the new reading. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of HVPN to the effect that the meter is perfect and the new reading is 18,450 and the previous was 18,346. The complainant had stated that he lights up only two bulbs, one fridge and a portable TV.

The lineman of the HVPN visited the premesis on October 8, 1998 and said the meter was running slow. Under these circumstances, the complainant brought this complaint demanding issuance of a revised bill on the basis of actual consumption of electricity. Upon serving of a notice, the HVPN put in an appearance and filed their joint written statement wherein it was pleaded that on the request of the complainant, the meter was got checked and found sticky and was, thereafter, replaced. The bill in question has been issued on adhoc basis. It was further pleaded that the adhoc average is adjustable on the basis of six months actual consumption of the meter replaced.

The Court observed that the HVPN, by issuing the Bill No 8829 dated September 27, 1998 on average basis without any reason and not correcting the same even after the representation made by the complainant to the HVPN, has indulged in deficient services which resulted in mental harassment to the complainant.

Insurance company to pay mediclaim
CHANDIGARH: UT Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-I here directed New India Assurance company to pay the mediclaim of Rs 30,162 to the complainant whose claim had earlier been rejected by the company.

The complaint to this effect was instituted before the bench comprising president H.C. Modi and members R.K. Behl and Shashi Kanta by one Ashok Kumar Bhatia who alleged that though he had an insurance cover under the family medical savings programme of the New India Assurance company, his claim regarding money spent on treatment of his father who was duly covered under the insurance scheme as rejected by the insurance company. The complainant stated that the Citi Bank introduced him to the said scheme and he got his family including his father insured. He stated that he applied for insurance on January 10, 1996 and a cover note was issued to him on February 1, 1996. It was added that on March 23, 1996 his father felt some pain in the left side. The consultant doctor suggested an ultrasound which revealed that the complainant8217;s father was suffering from renal cell carcinoma.

He was admitted to the PGI, operated upon and discharged on April 18. On account of the expenditure incurred the complainant prepared a claim of Rs 31,805 but the same was rejected by the company. During the course of arguments, counsel for the respondent mentioned that the complainant was entitled to Rs 30,162 as insurance claim and not more than that. After going through all contentions, the bench held that the complainant was entitled to insurance claim and directed the company to pay Rs 30,162 along with interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from the date of repudiation of the claim till its payment.