MANGALORE : The Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Court
has slapped a penalty of Rs 5000 on the Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner for
snapping the water connection of a consumer on the grounds of defaulting to pay water
bill, even while the bills were not issued on time to the consumer.
The consumer court had received two complaints from a same person in this regard.
Sabitha Serrao, a resident of Jeppinamogaru had lodged her first complaint with the Court
in the year 2006 stating her water connection had been cut off for not paying the bill
while the fact was that the water bill sent by the Corporation had not reached her. After
the court warned the MCC in this regard, a revised bill had been sent to the consumer.
But even that bill did not reach Serrao who again complained to the Consumer Court
which after going through the case directed the MCC to waive the water bill of Serrao
from October 8 2003 to March 10, 2006.
But on October 29, 2009, Serrao received a bill for Rs 3004 which included even the
water bill which had been waived as per the court’s orders. The court which concluded
that not only were the MCC authorities responsible for dereliction of duty but also that
they intended at harassing the consumer and directed the Commissioner to pay Rs 5000
to the consumer.
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