Ludhiana Improvement Trust fined for not providing water, sewerage connections to village resident

The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) to pay a refund Rs 1.76 lakh to Baljinder Singh, a resident of Rohno Khurd village, for not providing water and sewerage connections to his house after giving him its possession.

After the completion of the construction work on his plot, Baljinder Singh had applied for water and sewerage connection, “but there was no water and sewerage pipeline at the site”. At the same time, the Trust fined the owner for not having completed the construction of his house as per the schedule.

President of the commission, Daya Chaudhary, and member Vishav Kant Garg, dismissed the appeal of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust against an order by the Ludhiana District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The order allowed that the amount be paid with 8 per cent interest from the date of filing of the complaint till the date of actual payment. The complainant will also get Rs 20,000 more as composite costs within 30 days of the receipt of the order.

The complainant had constructed the house as per the sanctioned plan, but was unable to use the said property due to the lack of basic infrastructure and amenities like water and sewerage connection.

Importantly, the LIT argued in the commission that “sewerage is not a basic amenity”. The order quoted the Department of Housing and Urban Development notification that amenities “means any one or more than one utility such as roads, streets, open spaces, parks, recreational, grounds, playgrounds, water and electric supply, street lighting, sewerage, drainage, public works and other utilities, services and conveniences”.