The Hindu : Cities / Bangalore : BWSSB directed to return Rs. 5,000 to consumer
The First Additional Bangalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to return Rs. 5,000 to a consumer for not clearly mentioning why it had collected the said amount from the consumer.
The consumer, V.K. Jain, a resident of Peenya Industrial Estate, reported to the police that his water meter was stolen on March 8 this year. He then submitted an application to the BWSSB’s Assistant Executive Engineer, W-4 Sub-Division, for a new water meter. However, he was made to deposit Rs. 5,000 as penalty for the theft of the water meter in addition to Rs. 850 for a new meter and Rs. 150 towards fixing charges.
Mr. Jain filed a complaint before the forum and questioned the BWSSB’s action in collecting the penalty. The members of the forum - H.M. Bajentri, C.V. Rajamma and Keshav Rao Patil - found that the receipt issued by the BWSSB mentioned Rs. 5,000 under the head “others”. The members observed that “No proper particulars have been furnished as to why Rs. 5,000 was charged”.
Without disclosing the particulars, the BWSSB was not entitled to collect the amount. Terming this as “unfair trade practice”, the forum in its August 4 order directed the BWSSB to return Rs. 5,000 with six per cent interest to Mr. Jain. The BWSSB officials did not appear before the forum.
2 comments:
Good.
But can anyone help me. I have a case in the same forum where iam fighting the bwssb for the posiblity of a faulty water meter. The water meter was replaced some months ago and since then the meter records 30,000 ltrs one month 54,000 ltrs in another month, 20,000 ltrs in yet another month. Written complaints to bwssb and frequent requests to have the same checked have been futile.
Can this be taken as faulty and deficiency of service ?
I'm also facing the same issue.I went to the office with complaint and they started teaching me how to fix the meter. This is really absurd. They are supposed to replace the meter free of cost and they blame it on the way it is installed. Afterall they are the people who installed the meter.
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