Consumer forum tells JIT to pay Rs 65K to octogenarian

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 10

Sucha Singh, an 86-year-old retired Captain, finally got justice from the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, in a case pertaining to cheat and fraud by Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT). The consumer court directed JIT to pay Rs65,000 to the Captain for not providing the required services within a stipulated time.

A native of Hoshiarpur, Sucha Singh, in his complaint, mentioned that after being allured by the JIT for the development scheme in the 170-acre Surya Enclave, he registered for 200 sq yards area and an allotment letter no. 8537 dated February 26, 2004, was issued to him.

Further, the full consideration of Rs4,05,950 was made by him the next month. However, he was handed over the possession of plot measuring only 185 sq yards in place of agreed 200 sq yards for which he had even made extra payment of Rs40,000 for being the corner plot. He also paid Rs10,000 for gas pipe connection which also didn’t see the light of the day.

Subsequently, the complainant approached JIT multiple times but to no avail. Afterwards, he filed a complaint at the commission in March 2018 under the Consumer Protection Act.

Upon notice, the JIT appeared and contested the complaint by raising preliminary objections that complaint is not maintainable. “The area of the corner plot can be increased or decreased on the actual site which cannot be ascertained at the time of allotting the plot and allottee of the corner plot has to pay as per the increase or decrease in the area of the actual site,” added the JIT officials and denied all charges. JIT demanded for the dismissal of the complaint.

The complainant tendered his affidavit in evidence. The complainant wrote a letter to the JIT regarding issuance of the site plan and wrote various letters to JIT with regard to demand possession of 200 sq. yards of the plot in question instead of 185 square yards but JIT failed to do so.

After considering the overall facts, commission counsel comprising president Kuljit Singh and memberJyotsna concluded that neither the complainant was allotted the land with the desired area and the nor the facility of gas pipe line was installed.

Therefore, the JIT was directed to pay Rs40,000 as fee which had been charged by the JIT from the complainant for corner plot, Rs10,000 for gas pipe connection, Rs10,000 as compensation for mental harassment and Rs5,000 as cost of litigation. The compliance of the order be made within 45 days, the order added.

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