Ludhiana, July 19
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed the Railways to pay Rs 4,000 on account of compensation for deficiency in services to Mr Satya Paul Kalra, a resident of Chowk Khawaja Azam. The forum has also directed the Railways to refund Rs 1,000 charged wrongly from the consumer and to pay interest on it at the rate of 12 per cent per annum from August 28, 2001, till the actual payment of the compensation amount. The forum has also directed the respondent to pay Rs 500 as cost of litigation to the complainant.
According to the complaint, the complainant was a senior citizen and had booked two return tickets of the Golden Temple Mail, from Ludhiana to Mumbai Central under the Tatkal Seva of the Indian Railways on August 28, 2000. The consumer, Mr Kalra stated before the forum that he paid Rs 1,392 as fare and he was not allowed 30 per cent concession for being a senior citizen.
The consumer disclosed that he along with two family members boarded the Golden Temple Mail on August 28, 2000. After other due formalities, the TTE at the entrance of the gate reserved for Tatkal Seva, allowed them to enter the train and guided them for getting reserved seats as per the schedule on reservation chart.
Mr Kalra disclosed that when the train left the Bharatpur Railway station, an official who was in civil dress without any badge of his name and designation came into the compartment and started harassing them. He further disclosed that the official took both tickets (including return journey tickets). When the train reached Bayana station, the consumer found the official passing by him and on demand, the officials only returned the return tickets by splitting the perforation of both tickets and then slipped away without delivering the ticket of the onward journey, he added.
Mr Kalra said when the train reached the Kota station, the official again came in the compartment and gave them the ticket duly manipulated. Moreover, he recovered Rs 1,000 from the consumer and issued another ticket for his wife and a family member, mentioning on it “Without Ticket”, despite their having a reservation in the Tatkal Seva compartment of the train, he further said.
The consumer stated that he had lodged a complaint regarding the matter with the Station Master at the Dadar railway station. Since the space on the complaint book was not sufficient, the complaint for refund of Rs 1,000 was sent by post to the Station Master, Ludhiana, Chief Commercial Manager (refund) Northern Railway and Chief Commercial Manager (Refund) Western Railways Mumbai.
It was alleged by the consumer that despite repeated reminders and requests, he was not refunded Rs 1,000, which had been wrongly recovered from him. He alleged that there was clear deficiency on the part of the Railways, as the official had adopted unfair trade practice and harassed him and his family members unnecessarily.
The Railways admitted that the complainant got the reservation done of the said return tickets from Ludhiana to Mumbai. But it was denied that the tickets were booked under Tatkal Seva. It was also denied that any senior citizen concession was given to the complainant as he was not entitled for the said concession. However, it was admitted that, the consumer was charged Rs 1,000, including Rs 832 as fare and Rs 168 as fine.
The respondent clarified that without having Tatkal Seva tickets, the complainant alongwith two family members was travelling in the coach. It maintained that the amount was rightly recovered by the TTE and there was no deficiency in services.
The forum observed that the respondent had admitted that complainant was not given any senior citizen concession as the tickets were booked under Tatkal Seva and moreover the tickets produced by the consumer, showed that those had been issued under Tatkal Seva. The forum further observed that the complainant was holding valid tickets while travelling.
The forum held that there was clear deficiency in services on the part of the respondent for harassing the consumer unnecessarily and wrongly recovering Rs 1,000 from him.
