COURTS

Phone consumer to get compensation
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Feb 13 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Telecom Department to pay Rs 1,500 as compensation along with the cost of litigation to a complainant Vishwanath Dhiri, who was not provided a telephone connection even after 16 years of applying for it.

Taking a serious view of the deficiency in service in installation of a telephone set, the Forum deviated from the normal practice of giving a month’s time from the receipt of the order to the guilty party for executing it. Instead it directed the department to install telephone connection within 15 day from the date of the issuance of the directions.

Vishwanath Dhiri, a resident of Civil Lines had applied for a telephone connection on January 30, 1984 and paid the required booking amount on February 2, 1984. The complainant was given waiting list no.16896 on February 26, 1984. The complainant stated that on the enhancement of the capacity of the exchange a new waiting list no. 4477bn was given. The complainant shifted his house and gave the information to the department on July 29, 1996. The complainant further stated that a notice was served on the opposite party and a reply was sent by the department that the file was not traceable and asked the complainant to supply the copy of the demand notice.

The complainant alleged that he came to know that the connection had been provided to some other person without his consent and without verifying the identity of the applicant. The complainant further maintained that the department had written a letter on February 12, 1998, asking him to visit the office. The complainant further alleged that he visited the office several times but the officials insisted on him to give a surrender letter for wrongly provided telephone. The complainant did not agree to the same.

The complainant alleged that his seniority had been bypassed and the telephone had been installed at a wrong place without proper verification.

The department pleaded the complainant did not give any information regarding the change of address. The department further stated before the forum that a telephone connection (726165) was provided by the department on March 12, 1996 at the address given by the application form by the subscriber at the time of booking.

The forum observed that the department did not bother to provide the telephone at the present residence of the complainant, despite the fact that the applicant informed the department about the change of address. The forum further observed that providing of a telephone where the complainant was not residing, was act of clear deficiency of the department. Moreover, not shifting the telephone at the present residence of the complainant was again a deficiency in service on the part of the department. 

SPORT

City to have 18-hole golf course
From Our Sports Reporter

LUDHIANA, Feb 13 — The city may soon have an 18-hole golf course if everything goes well with the plan of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.K. Sandhu, who is also ex-officio president of the Satluj Club.

Mr Sandhu is working on the project ‘Satluj Golf Club’ in the city and hopefully the project will materialise soon. Mr Sandhu told that the location of the project could not be disclosed as the land prices in the vicinity could shoot up.

The city needs a proper golf course as the one at Punjab Agricultural University is not up to the mark. Moreover, the PAU sports and other activities prohibit golfers from playing there as the priority is given to the scheduled functions of the university. Moreover, this golf course does not have 18-hole-facility.

At present, the golf lovers have to go to Phillaur, where the Ranjitgarh Golf Club provides them opportunity to satisfy their passion for the game. The membership of the club is about 300.

For Ajit Grewal (58), a golf lover the game means a lot. He is of the view that it is a kind of meditation. He is a regular visitor to the Ranjitgarh Golf Club on the weekends.

Mr Grewal says, “We are ready to pay any price for playing golf.” He wants that a golf course should be opened here as the PAU golf course lacks facilities.