IN THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION , JAJPUR.
Present: 1.Sri Pitabas Mohanty, I/C President,
2.Miss Smita Ray, Lady Member.
Dated the 30th day of June,2021
C.C.Case No. 82 of 2019
Chimnayee Sahoo, W/O Kailash ch.Sahoo
Vill/. Manatira /P.S. Jakhapura
Dt.Jajpur
……....Complainant .
(Versus)
- Post Master,Manatira sub-post office,Manatira ,Via.Danagadi
- Post Master,Vyasa Nagar post office,J.K.Road,MDH ,Dist. Jajpur.
- Chief post Master,Head post office,Jajpur Town ,Dt.Jajpur.
- Superintendent of post office,Cuttack Odisha,North Division,
……………..Opp.Parties.
For the Complainant: Sri M.Ku. Nayak , Advocate .
For the Opp.Parties : Sri A.Ku.Dash ,(Standing counsel ).
Date of order: 30 .06. 2021.
MISS SMITA RAY , L A D Y MEMBER .
Deficiency in postal service is the grievance of the petitioner .
The facts as stated by the petitioner in the complaint petition shortly are that the
petitioner opened a RD A/C No. 1010184 dt.31.01.12 in the Manitira sub- post office . She had deposited monthly Rs.200/- from 31.01.12 to 31.01.2017 regularly. The total account deposited is Rs.12,000/- The R.D amount was matured on 2017. The post office is legally liable to pay the matured amount to the petitioner . The petitioner went to concerned sub-post office to demand maturity money but the post master paid deaf a ear. The previous post master was suspended due to manipulation of money . A new post master though joined but he did not listen her grievance . As such the petitioner went to J.K.Road MDH post office and Jajpur Town head post office again and again for receiving this matured deposited amount . The petitioner is a simple innocent lady . She expended much money for moving here and there and mentally harassed due to such type of activity of the post masters .
After some months the head of post office of J.K.Road called the petitioner for amicable settlement of the matured R.D account . The officer of the MDH post offie, Jajpur Road received R.D original book dt.20.02.2018 from the petitioner and assured that the matter will settled quickly .But actually there is no interest to give the matured money to the petitioner .
Accordingly finding no other way the petitioner knocked the door of this commission with the prayer to direct the O>p to pay the matured money and any other relief to the petitioner as deemed fit .
After receipt of notice the o.p appeared through their learned advocate and filed their written version and taking the stand that:The fact of the case is that Chinmayee Sahoo, the complainant opened a Recurring deposit (RD) account at Manitira branch post office ( not sub-post office as mentioned by the complainant) on 31.01.2012 having account number -1010184 with a denomination of Rs.200/- .The maturity date was 31.01.2017 .But the then GDS Branch post master of Manitira BO had committed huge fraud at the said branch post office and the account of the complainant was also involved.
After detection of the fraud in the complainant’s account usual procedure for establisheme4nt of fraud was to be followed. The details transactions were verified with the post office documents available at Manitira B.O, Danagadi S.O which is the account office of Manitira BO and jajpur HO. After getting verified with all the available documents by the Inspector of posts, Jajpur Road sub-division who is the immediate administrative authority the detail report was sent to the Superintendent of post offices, Cuttack North Division. After verification the fraud in the account of the complainant was found to be Rs.9400/-. As per the rule of the Department of posts ,sanctioning power of the Superintendent of post offices is limited to Rs.5000/- fraud exceeding Rs.5000/- has to be sanctioned by the Head of the circle i.e The Chief post master General, Odisha Circle ,Bhubaneswar prior to forwarding the claim to the CPMG, usual interest and penal interest was calculated at Jajpur H.O. The process described above entails some time as plenty of verifications, calculations has to be done and that to appropriately. It is also pertinent to mention here that except the account of the complainant, other 62 accounts and policies are involved in this fraud and except this fraud other fraud cases are also being dealt by the departmental authorities mentioned above. Therefore sanction of claim after following the due procedure entails some time. From the 63 detected cases, 50 claims have already been settled. But the complainant being aggrieved with the department’s procedure has approached this Commission.
However, the claim of the complainant has already been sanctioned by the competent authority vide memo no.Inv./7-238/2017/Ch-1 dt.17.10.2019 . On the same day the Superintendent of post offices,Cuttack North Division has communicated the approval of the competent authority to the post master,Jajpur HO for restoration of the sanctioned value through the SB account of the complainant. The payment of the maturity value will be effected after submission of the SB account details by the complainant as mentioned in the Memo no.F/4-1/2018-19 dt.17.10.2019 .
In view of the above facts mentioned in the forgoing paragraphs, as the claim of the claim of the complainant has already been settled, the complaint is liable to be dismissed.
On the date of hearing adv for the petitioner is present. O.Ps are absent. we heard the argument from the side of the petitioner. After perusal of the record and documents in details it is undisputed fact that the petitioner opened a RD A/C ac before the o.p.no. 1 bearing A/C No.1010184 and she deposited Rs.200/- per month from 31.1.12 to 31.1.17 regularly .The O.p also admitted in their written version that there is an fraud in the petitioner account. And after verification the fraud A/C of the petitioner was found only Rs . 9,400/ to be paid and O.Ps also stated in their written version that the payment of matured value will be effected after submission of the S.B A/C details by the petitioner as mentioned in the memo no.Inv/7-238/2017/Ch-1 dt. 17.10.2019 but as per the petitioner statement in the complaint petition the R/D account matured on 31.1.17 according to the duty of the O.Ps to pay the matured amount to the petitioner immediately and the fraud was done by the concerned authority of the O.p .Hence there is no mistake from the side the petitioner. On the other hand it is observed that the O.P settled the amount of R.D account , it is done after the petitioner filed the present dispute before this commission i.e 11.9.19 . Accordingly it is our considered view that the O.P has committed gross negligence for settlement of the matured value of the R.D account of the petitioner .
Hence this order
The dispute is allowed against the O.Ps. The O.Ps are jointly and severally liable for the above negligence . Accordingly the O.Ps are directed to pay the entire matured amount of R.D account of the petitioner along with cost of Rs. 5,000/- ( five thousand ) will be paid within one month ( after deducting the amount earlier paid if ) after receipt of this order, failing which the petitioner can take step as per law.
This order is pronounced in the open Forum on this the 30th day of June,2021. under my hand and seal of the Commission .
