Challenge in this batch of 13 Revision Petitions, by the Improvement Trust, Patiala, and its Executive Officer is to the orders, all dated 05.07.2017, passed by the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at Chandigarh (for short “the State Commission”) in Miscellaneous Applications No.1216, 1217, 1218, 1219, 1220, 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1228 of 2017 in First Appeals No. 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308 and 338 of 2017 respectively.  By the said orders, the State Commission has declined to extend the time granted to the Petitioners, vide its orders dated 09.05.2017, for deposit of 50% of the awarded amount as a condition precedent for stay of the orders, dated 16.03.2017 and 05.04.2017, passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum at Patiala (for short “the District Forum”) in Consumer Complaints No. 226/2015, 224/2015, 295/2015, 311/2015, 154/2016, 304/2015, 310/2015, 294/2015, 236/2015, 252/2015, 274/2015, 275/2015 and 273/2015 respectively.  According to the State Commission, extension of time, as prayed for in the Applications, will amount to recall/review of its earlier orders dated 09.05.2017 and, therefore, in the light of the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Rajiv Hitendra v. Achyut Kashinath Karekar & Anr., IV (2011) CPJ 35 (SC), it lacks jurisdiction to pass such an order.

Having heard learned Counsel for the Petitioners and bearing in mind the fact that the demand drafts for the amounts directed to be deposited vide order dated 09.05.2017 had already been obtained, though belatedly, we are of the view that the prayer made for extension of time for the deposit(s) deserves to be granted to the Petitioners.  We are alive to the fact that the orders impugned in these Revision Petitions were made in the presence of Counsel for the Complainants, but, having regard to the nature of the relief prayed for in these cases, which is primarily discretionary, we feel that issue of notice in these Petitions would not only be an additional financial burden on the Petitioner Trust, a public body, it would also cause unnecessary harassment to them on a trivial issue.

Accordingly, the Revision Petitions are allowed; orders dated 05.07.2017 are set aside; and the Petitioners are granted one week’s further time from today to make the requisite deposits, as it is stated that the Appeals are coming up for hearing on 08.09.2017.

All the Revision Petitions stand disposed of in the above terms.

Copy of the order be issued dasti.