By Smt. Sreeja S.,Member:
The complainant is a consumer of opposite parties having consumer No. Cky/5144/N and consumer ID 3312107394. 1st opposite party is the Assistant Engineer Kerala Water Authority, W.S.P Subdivision, Chalakudy. 2nd opposite party is the Managing Director, Jalanidhi, Thiruvananthapuram. The complainant case in brief. The complainant is running a bakery juice shop and maintaining a nondomestic water connection provided by the opposite parties. The opposite party issued a bill dated 17.10.18 for Rs.40,878/- (Rupees Forty Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy Eight Only). There is no reason for such huge quality of water consumed by the complainant. The water meter is at fault and filed a complainant dated 22.10.18 before the opposite parties for rectification and issuance of proper water bill. Even though 1st opposite party offered to fix the water charge on average consumption of previous months, he disconnected the water connection on 04.12.18 without notice. Thereafter the 1st opposite party restored the water connection even without any demand and directed the complainant to pay the water bill on or before 06.12.18 or else the supply will be disconnected. It is the duty of opposite parties to properly maintain the water meter. Imposing exorlentant water charges without any basis is deficiency of service. Hence this complaint.
2. On receiving the complainant notice was properly served to the opposite parties. The opposite parties remained absent and they set exparte. Thereafter case posted for complainant’s evidence.
3. From side of the complainant, he appeared before the Forum and filed proof affidavit in which he has affirmed and explained all the averments stated in the complaint in detail. He also produced 6 documents which are marked as Ext. P1 to P6, P1 is the water bill dated 17.10.18 for an amount of Rs.40,878/,Ext.P2 is the water bill dated 14.06.18 for Rs.414/-, Ext.P3 is the complaint dated 22.10.18, Ext.P4 is the information given under right to information Act dated 09.11.18 showing meter reading and payment details, Ext.P5 is the water consumption details dated 19.10.19, Ext.P6 is the bill dated 11.04.19 for an amount of Rs.69,876/-.
4. We have gone through the contents of the affidavit and perused the documents. Ext.P1,P2 & P6 shows water charge for an amount of Rs.40,878/-, Rs.414/-, Rs.69,878/- respectively and P2&P6 would go to show that the bio monthly water charges as Rs.400 and Rs.500 respectively. Ext. P1 shows water charge as 7006 and additional charges Rs.33,878/-,P3 is the complaint filed before 1st opposite party and Ext.P4 is the respective reading for the months January 2016,March 2016, may 2016,and its corresponding bill details from 31.08.16 to 11.10.19 and which shows inordinate higher demand from 11.08.18 to 11.10.19. Since there is no contra evidence available before us to disprove Ext.P1 to P6 and the Forum is inclined to accept those evidence. In these circumstance complaint is to be allowed and we do so.
5. In the result we allowed the complaint and hereby cancel Ext.P1 water bill and direct the opposite parties not to disconnect water supply to complainant’s consumer No.CKY/5144/N based on Ext. P1 bill.
Dictated to the Confidential Assistant, transcribed by her, corrected by me and pronounced in the open Forum this the 26th day of December 2019
Sreeja S. Dr.K.Radhakrishnan Nair P.K.Sasi, Member Member President.
Appendix
Complainant’s Exhibits
Ext.P1 Water bill dated 17.10.18
Ext.P2 Water bill dated 14.06.18
Ext.P3 Complaint dated 22.10.18
Ext.P4 Showing meter reaching and payment details
Ext.P5 Water consumption details dated 19.10.19
Ext.P6 Bill Dated 11.04.19
Id/-
Member
