Haryana

Kaithal

98/20

Chabeg Singh - Complainant(s)

Versus

Sarva Haryana Grmin Bank - Opp.Party(s)

Sh.J.S.Pannu

05 Oct 2023

ORDER

BEFORE THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, KAITHAL.

                                                     Complaint Case No.98/2020.

                                                     Date of institution: 27.02.2020.

                                                     Date of decision:05.10.2023.

Chabeg Singh since deceased son of now represented by his legal heirs:- a) Ranjeet Kaur widow of Chabeg Singh b) Jaspreet Singh son of Chabeg Singh c) Palwinder Singh S/o Chabeg Singh, all residents of Village Kheri Daban, Tehsil Guhla, District Kaithal.

                                                                        …Complainants.

                        Versus

1. Sarva Haryana Gramin Bank through its Branch Manager, Agondh, tehsil Guhla, Distt. Kaithal.
2. The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd., through its Manager, Dhand Road, Kaithal.
3. Deputy Director Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Department, Kaithal, Office at Room No.103, Secretariat, Kaithal.

….OPs.

        Complaint under Section 12 of the Consumer Protection Act

CORAM:     SMT. NEELAM KASHYAP, PRESIDENT.

                   SMT. SUMAN RANA, MEMBER.

                   SH. SUNIL MOHAN TRIKHA, MEMBER.

       

Present:     Sh. J.S.Pannu, Adv., for the complainants.   

                Sh. S.S.Vohra, Adv. for the OP.No.1.

                Sh. M.R.Miglani, Adv. for the OP No.2.

                Sh. Pushpinder Saini, G.P. for the OP No.3.

               

ORDER

NEELAM KASHYAP, PRESIDENT

        Chabeg Singh (since deceased)-Complainant has filed this complaint under Section 12 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’) against the OPs.

2.             In nutshell, the facts of present case are that the complainant Chabeg Singh (since deceased) was agriculturist by profession and owned agriculture land measuring 24 Kanal 10 Marla situated at Village Kheridaban, Distt. Kaithal.  The complainant had an account No.81418800027539 with the OP No.1.  The OP No.1 got insured the crop of complainant under the scheme “Pardhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna” for the crop of Kharif (paddy) for the period 2018-19 with the OP No.2 and had deducted the amount of Rs.2082.11 paise on 31.07.2018 as insurance premium amount.  It is further alleged that due to untimely heavy rainfall and lodging of heavy rainy water in that area on 23/24.09.2018 the paddy crop of the complainant was damaged/ruined.  The complainant Chabeg Singh (since deceased) instantly reported the matter to OP No.3, who in return inspected the agricultural fields of village of complainant alongwith officials of OP No.2 and the loss of paddy crops was assessed upto the extent of 50% damage of paddy crop in his agriculture land.  The complainant requested the OPs to pay the claim amount but they did not do so.  So, it is a clear cut case of deficiency in service on the part of OPs and prayed for acceptance of complaint.     

3.            Upon notice, the OPs appeared before this Commission and contested the complaint by filing their written version separately.  OP No.1 filed the written version raising preliminary objections regarding maintainability; cause of action; that this commission has got no jurisdiction to entertain and try the present complaint; that the premium amount of Rs.2082.11 paise was debited from KCC account of complainant on 31.07.2018 and such premium amount was remitted to OP No.2, who is liable to compensate the complainant, if any.  It is also relevant to mention here that the relevant record was sent by the OP No.1 to Op No.2 for consideration of claim of the complainant for the crops of Kharif, 2018 and Op No.2 released the claim amount of Rs.6778/- to the complainant which was deposited/credited in the saving bank account of the complainant on 12.04.2019.  On merits, the objections raised in the preliminary objections are reiterated and so, prayed for dismissal of complaint. 

4.             OP No.2 filed the written version mentioning therein that the complainant is stopped by his own act and conduct.  The amount of Rs.6778/- has been paid to the complainant on yield basis and on individually application, no claim was made out; that the present complaint is liable to be dismissed with costs being not maintainable as the claim has already been paid to the complainant; that role of insurance company is only to pay claim in accordance with the scheme of “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana” and thus, insurance company cannot be held liable for any mistake done by either complainant himself or bank of complainant or other institutions that are part of this scheme.  In fact as per yield data (area wise data) provided by Agricultural Department (Haryana Govt.), the actual yield is more than the threshold yield, hence, nothing is payable by the insurance company and the complainant is not entitled for the relief claimed.  There is no deficiency in service on the part of OP.  On merits, the objections raised in the preliminary objections are rebutted and so, prayed for dismissal of complaint.

5.             OP No.3 filed the written version raising preliminary objections regarding maintainability; cause of action; locus-standi; that this commission has got no jurisdiction to entertain and try the present complaint; that the fields of complainant as-well-as other farmers were inspected by the officials of answering OP randomly on the basis of village level.  The other allegations alleged in the complaint are also denied and so, prayed for dismissal of complaint

6.             To prove his case, the complainant tendered into evidence affidavit Ex.CW1/A alongwith documents Annexure-C1 to Annexure-C3 and thereafter, closed the evidence.

7.             On the other hand, the OP No.3 tendered into evidence affidavit Ex.RW3/A alongwith documents Annexure-R1 & Annexure-R2, OP No.2 tendered into evidence affidavit Ex.RW2/A alongwith document Annexure-R3 and OP No.1 tendered into evidence affidavit Ex.RW1/A alongwith documents Annexure-R4 & Annexure-R5 and thereafter, closed the evidence. 

8.             We have heard both the parties and perused the record carefully.

9.             Ld. counsel for the complainants has argued that the complainant Chabeg Singh (since deceased) was agriculturist by profession and owned agriculture land measuring 24 Kanal 10 Marla situated at Village Kheridaban, Distt. Kaithal.  The complainant had an account No.81418800027539 with the OP No.1.  The OP No.1 got insured the crop of complainant under the scheme “Pardhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna” for the crop of Kharif (paddy) for the period 2018-19 with the OP No.2 and had deducted the amount of Rs.2082.11 paise on 31.07.2018 as insurance premium amount.  It is further argued that due to untimely heavy rainfall and lodging of heavy rainy water in that area on 23/24.09.2018 the paddy crop of the complainants was damaged/ruined.  It is further argued that the complainant Chabeg Singh (since deceased) instantly reported the matter to OP No.3, who in return inspected the agricultural fields of village of complainant alongwith officials of OP No.2 and the loss of paddy crops was assessed upto the extent of 50% damage of paddy crop in his agriculture land.  The complainants requested the OPs to pay the claim amount but they did not do so.  So, it is a clear cut case of deficiency in service on the part of OPs.

10.            On the other hand, ld. counsel for the OP No.1-bank has argued that the premium amount of Rs.2082.11 paise was debited from KCC account of complainant on 31.07.2018 for Fasal Bima Yojna of Kharif-2018 (paddy).  It is further argued that the relevant record was sent by the OP No.1 to Op No.2 for consideration of claim of the complainant for the crops of Kharif, 2018 and Op No.2 released the claim amount of Rs.6778/- to the complainant which was deposited/credited in the saving bank account of the complainant on 12.04.2019.      

11.            Ld. counsel for the OP No.2-Insurance Company has argued that amount of Rs.6778/- has been paid to the complainant on yield basis and on individually application, no claim was made out.  It is further argued that as per yield data (area wise data) provided by Agricultural Department (Haryana Govt.), the actual yield is more than the threshold yield, hence, nothing is payable by the insurance company and the complainant is not entitled for the relief claimed.   

12.            Sh. Pushpinder Saini, GP for the OP No.3-Agriculture Department has stated that the claim does not arise on average yield because in the present case, average yield is greater than threshold yield.  He has submitted the approximately crop claim based on Village Survey, under PMFBT at the time of arguments, which is Mark-A on the file.   

13.              As per Annexure-R3, the area insured was 1.416 hectare which comes as approximately 3.5 acre.  So far the liability is concerned, if there was any discrepancy in the area insured, area sown, address, bank account number (KYC) etc. of the farmers concerned, then it was required for the OP No.2 insurance company to refund back the said amount, within two months of cutoff date to the OP No.1 bank, but nothing has been done on the part of OP No.2 and this Commission rely upon in this regard on “Haryana Government Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Notification dated 30.03.2018” and its Clause No.19 “Other Conditions” sub-Clause xxii is relevant, which reads as under:-

“xxii) The Insurance Company shall verify the data of insured farmers pertaining to area insured, area sown, address, bank account number (KYC) as provided by the banks independently on its own cost within two months of the cutoff date and in case of any correction must report to the state government failing which no objection by the Insurance Company at a later stage will be entertained and it will be binding on the Insurance Company to pay the claim”.  

14.            So, from perusal of above Notification, we found that it was the required for OP No.2 insurance company to refund back the premium of amount of farmers concerned to OP No.1 bank after pointing out any discrepancy on its end, within the period of cut off date of two months, but in the case in hand, OP No.2 had neither raised any objection within the period of cutoff date of two months nor intimated to OP No.1 bank regarding any discrepancy in this regard and kept the premium amount with it, and now at the time when crops of complainant was destroyed and he is demanding the claim amount, as per policy from it, then OP No.2 refused to pay the same on this flimsy ground, which amounts to deficiency in service on the part of OP No.2. As such, the OP No.2 insurance company is liable to pay the claim amount to the complainants for the loss suffered by them due to destruction of their crop.

15.            In the present case, the Agriculture Department has assessed the loss to the tune of Rs.9979.20 paise per acre as per Mark-A.  Hence, for 3.5 acre loss, the complainants are entitled for the amount of Rs.34,927/- (Rs.9979.20 paise x 3.5 acre).  Hence, we are of the considered view that there is deficiency in service on the part of OP No.2-Insurance Company.        

16.            Thus as a sequel of above discussion, we direct the OP No.2-insurance company to pay Rs.34,927/- to the complainants after deducting the amount of Rs.6778/- which the OP No.2-insurance company has already paid to the complainants through Op No.1-bank as per bank entry dt.12.04.2019 as per statement of account (Annexure-R4), which becomes the balance amount of Rs.28,149/- to the complainants in equal share alongwith interest @ 6% p.a. from the date of filing of present complaint till its realization within 45 days from today.  The OP No.2-Insurance Company is further directed to pay Rs.5,000/- on account of physical harassment and mental agony as-well-as Rs.5,000/- as litigation charges to the complainant.  Hence, the present complaint is accepted accordingly against OP No.2-insrance company and dismissed against OPs No.1 & 3.     

17.            In default of compliance of this order, proceedings against OP No.2 shall be initiated under Section 72 of Consumer Protection Act, 2019 as non-compliance of court order shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one month, but which may extend to three years, or with fine, which shall not be less than twenty five thousand rupees, but which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both. A copy of this order be sent to the parties free of cost. File be consigned to the record room after due compliance.     

Announced in open court:

Dt.:05.10.2023.

                                                                (Neelam Kashyap)

                                                                President.

 

(Sunil Mohan Trikha),           (Suman Rana),          

Member.                            Member.

 

Typed by: Sanjay Kumar, S.G.