Permanent Lok Adalat Held At Mohali

By 121 News Reporter

Mohali 20^th February:-- In a major relief to the telephone subscribers the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services), Mohali headed by Jagroop Singh Mahal on 20.2.2014 while dismissing three applications moved by Tata Teleservices Limited imposed cost of Rs. 30,000/- on the Tata Teleservices and also directed that when a telephone subscriber has moved an application to discontinue the telephone service the same would be deemed to have been discontinued and  the service provider would not be entitled to usage/rental charges after the close of billing period during which the said application has been moved.

 In the present cases Tata Teleservices Limited filed three applications under Section 22-C of the Legal Services Authorities Act to recover the amount of Rs. 4008/-, 3991/- and 4078/- and Rs.1000/- as legal charges in each case from Checkmate Facility and Electronics Solutions Private Limited.  On a notice to the respondent they demanded the bill details which the applicant Tata Teleservices Limited was unable to provide. The contention of Checkmate Facility and Electronics Solutions Private Limited was that all the telephone connections had been paid up and they had requested the applicant to close the telephone service w.e.f. 31.3.2011. The telephone connections at all other stations had been closed except Mohali which continued issuing telephone bills to the respondent Checkmate Facility and Electronics Solutions Private Limited. On receipt of bills the respondent resened the issuance of bills and informed the Mohali office that the services have since been discontinued and the amount due from them has been fully paid but the applicant did not agree and filed the present applications to recover the amount mentioned above.

 The Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) found the applications frivolous because the stand taken by the Checkmate Facility and Electronics Solutions Private Limited was found to be correct from the E-mails exchanged between the parties. The applications moved by Tata Teleservices Limited were accordingly dismissed with Rs. 10,000/- as litigation cost in each application. It was also ruled by the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services) that whenever a request is made by telephone subscriber requesting for closure of the telephone service to him it would be deemed to have been closed with the end of the billing cycle and the applicant service provider would not be entitled to any usage/rental charges from the respondent for the subsequent period.