MTNL asked to pay Rs 40K for not paying dues, harassing man

MTNL has been directed by a consumer forum to pay over Rs 40,000 to a man, who had taken four telephone connections for a PCO, for not paying him the dues owed by the company and harassing him.
The East Delhi Consumer Disputes Redressal forum, presided by N A Zaidi, directed the company to pay Rs 40,536 to East Delhi resident Praveen Kumar Sharma who had alleged that after disconnection of his numbers, MTNL had not refunded security money deposited by him at the time of getting connection.
The company also did not pay to Sharma Rs 536, the dues of telephone bills owned by the company, he said.

"We allow this complaint. We direct the Opposite Party (MTNL) to refund to the complainant the amount of Rs 536... We, further, direct the OP to refund to the complainant the security deposit of Rs 5,000 and refund the amount received by OP under the Bank Guarantee of Rs 15,000...
"The complainant has been harassed, traumatised and his legitimate right have been violated by the OP. We, further, award a compensation of Rs 20,000 on account of harassment, mental pain and agony which shall also include the cost of this litigation," the forum said.
MTNL was proceeded ex-parte as it did not contest the case before the forum.

The man, in his complaint filed in 2013, told the forum that the telephone numbers were alloted to him by the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) for the purpose of PCO on the basis of franchise system.

He said for two local numbers, PCO coin box was allotted to him on the terms and conditions that 60 paisa per call will be shared by MTNL and 40 paisa by the franchise.
He claimed that MTNL paid Rs 536 less than the actual payment in three bills in 2005-06 and despite repeated request given to the accounts officer at the company's Chitra Vihar office in 2007, this amount was not paid.

In respect of two STD phone numbers, the security deposit of Rs 30,000 was also not refunded after their disconnection, he said.
He had pleaded before the forum to direct the company to pay Rs 536 dues, security deposit and a compensation of Rs five lakh.