Orissa

Anugul

CC/05/2014

Bhupesh Chandra Pradhan - Complainant(s)

Versus

Union of India,Chairman,Railway Boerd cum Ex officer Principal Secretary Govt. of India Ministry Rai - Opp.Party(s)

Self

20 Sep 2016

ORDER

            OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL FORUM, ANGUL

 

       PRESENT:- SRI  DURGA CHARAN MISHRA.                          

                                       PRESIDENT

                                                             A N D

 

                                      Mrs. S.MALLICK & Sri K.K.Mohanty,

                                        MEMBER .

 

                              Consumer Complaint No. 05 of 2014

 

                                         Date  of  Filling : - 08.09.2016.

                                                 Date  of  Order  :-   20.09.2016.

 

 Bhupesh Ch.Pradhan,S/O.Gobinda Ch.Pradhan,

At-near Durga Mandap,Amalapda,P.O/Dist.Angul.

 

                                          _________________________Complainant.

                   Vrs.

   

 01.Union of India,Through Chairman,Railway Board-cum-

      Exofficio Principal Secretary,Govt.of India,Ministry of

      Railways,Rail Bhavan,New Delhi-110001.

 

02.  General Manager, East Coast Railway, Rail Sadan,

       At- Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar,Dist.Khurda,Odisha.

 

03.  Station Master, Angul Railway Station,

       At-Ranigoda,P.O/,Dist.Angul.

 

                                     _________________________    Opp. parties.

 

For the complainant             :-  Self.

For the opp.party No.1         :- None.   

For the opp.party No.2 & 3  :- Sri P.K.Pradhan & associates(Advs.)

 

 

                                          : J U D G E M E N T   :

Sri D. C. Mishra, President.

            The  complainant has filed this  case, claiming  compensation and  cost of the  case  from the  opp.parties  for   negligence  and  deficiency in  supplying   service with   further  prayer  to direct the  opp.parties  to  change the damage  coaches and   provide  good  and standard service to the  passenger  during  journey  in the  train.  

2.       The  case of the   complainant as narrated in  complaint runs thus :-

(i)      That  on 19.10.2013 the  complainant  booked   six  online  tickets vide PNR No.6524209323 in  three tire A/C class of  Puri-Ahmedabad  express  train No. 18404 to  perform  journey   from Angul to Ahmedabad  on 18.12.2013 and  again  on 28.10.2013  he booked  return tickets vide PNR No.8617880597 in the   down train  for  returning to Angul on 27.12.2013 .  

          Though six numbers  of  tickets were  booked for up and  down  journey  but on 8.12.2013  three tickets  of the relatives  of the complainant were cancelled , for which  ultimately  the  complainant  and  his  family ( three persons)  made the  journey  on 18.12.2013  in  berth Nos.  49,51 and  52 of coach No.B-3  and  on 27.12.2013 returned in the same  coach  No. B-3 on berth Nos. 41,43 and  44.

 

(ii)     It is  specifically averred that   the  coach was very  old and  dirty one,  manufactured in the year 2007 and  due to lack of  maintenance  it  was damaged. Since  water was flowing  from the  broken roof  near the entrance  area   the   complainant  and  his  family  members  went into the  train (seat)  through that dirty water flowing  area as  there was no  other  way  to  enter into the  train. The doors, toilets and wash basins  were damaged and  the  dirty water was  flowing inside the  passengers sitting area. The  glass of the  doors were  broken and  plywood was fitted in place of the  glass, for which the  inside  passengers and  outside passengers were  unable to see each other through  those  widows and due  to  pushing  of the  widows by the complainant  and  his  family  members  they  suffered  bodily  injury  and  pain. The  water taps  ,toilet, flushes  ,fans of the  toilet   were  broken and  missing and there was no  mugs  or  liquid  soaps  or  toilet papers in the  toilet and  toilets were very much dirty  and  not in a condition for use.

(iii)    According  to the  complainant there was no  curtains in  their  coaches  and  the  bed  rolls and  the blankets  supplied  were torn and  dirty  ,having very bad smell and the   seats were torned .The  middle  berths were  hanging  by  only one  chain  ,for which the   complainant  and  his  family members   apprehended danger and  became   panick  and  could not sleep  in the  night. It is  further  pleaded that the  rats , cockroaches and other insects were   moving freely  inside the  coach and  crawling on the  complainant and  other passengers and   entering  in their bags and  damaging their foods , for which  the  complainant and other passengers  could not sit  or  sleep  peacefully  and  travel  with  much  pain  and  hardship without  using the  toilet. Due to unhygienic  condition  inside the  train and restless as well as  dangerous   journey  the  complainant and  his  family  members  could not  sleep and  suffered  physically  and mentally. It is specifically averred that the journey   time is too long (about 30 hrs.)  and   due to   negligence as  well as strong deficiency in service   rendered  by the opp.parties and  for  unhygienic  condition and  poor maintenance  of the  coach   the  complainant and  his  family  members   suffered  financially, physically and  mentally, for which  the   opp.parties   being the  service  providers are  liable to pay  the   compensation. Hence the case.

3.       Opp.party No.1 has been set-exparte. Opp.party No.2 &  3 have contested the   case  by filing   a joint written version, denying  all the  allegations  and   averments made by the  complainant  against them with  prayer to  dismiss the case. According to them   after getting  complaint  from the  complainant the   contractor  entrusted  with  the   sanitation  work has been punished and  defects rectified but unless the  train returns to its  starting  point (Puri) ,they had no chance  or  capacity  to rectify  the  other alleged defects. Thus, though  the opp.parties have admitted negligence and deficiency in service rendered by them, but according to them those defects were beyond their  control.

4.       In view of the   rival pleadings of the  parties  the  following  issues arise  for adjudication  by this  forum.

Issues:-

1. Whether   the complainant is a consumer and the case     is   maintainable under   the ambit of    C.P.Act, 1986 ?

 

2. Whether any cause of action arose against the opp.parties to   bring the    case before the   forum for adjudication?

 

3. Whether deficiency of service and unfair trade practice have been committed by the opp.parties inviting penal action against them as is available under C.P.Act,1986 ?

 

4. If so,   what relief the    complainant is    entitled to?

 

: F I N D I N G S:

Issue No.(i):-       The  complainant   has filed   the  tickets  vide PNR No.  6524209323 & 8617880597   to show that  he has made  up and  down  journey   in train No. 18404 &  18406 on 18.122013 and  27.12.2013 respectively. The above PNR numbers Tickets are Annexure 1 & 2 of the case. It is  admitted  by opp.party No.2 & 3  in their  written version  that the  complainant had   paid the  required  amount for   under taking the   journey  from Angul to Ahmedabad   and the  vice-versa. Thus, the complainant  has  purchased/hired  services   from  opp.parties  by  paying   money. So the   complainant is a consumer and  the opp.parties are the  service  providers.

 

Issue No.(ii):-      Cause  of  action   arises in  this  case  on the  date   of  journey   and  return  journey   i.e on 18.12.2013  and  27.12.2013  when the   complainant and  his  family   members  suffered  due to  negligence  and  deficit  of  service  provided  by the opp.parties  in their    train    and  when the complainant lodged  his written complaint No.067142(Annexure-3)before the concerned TTE and the  TTE admitted the  fact  ,endorsing  as “ All are true”. Thus there is cause of action in this   case.

 

Issue No.(iii):-     In annexure-3, the  complainant has   written all the  deficiencies  and   negligence   caused by the opp.parties   and   the  concerned  TTE  has  endorsed  on the  complaint  (vide Annexure-3)  that “All are true”  which  means all the  allegations lavelled  by  the  complainant  are  true. Also in the  written version  the opp.parties have accepted the  allegation  of the  complainant to  be  true but they have taken  the  plea that the  deficiency  in service  caused was beyond  their  control  but  this   plea cannot be accepted as   it is  not  worthy of acceptancy .The  complainant  has submitted some  photographs vide Annexure-4 to  justify   his  claim which are not  disputed by the opp.parties. The  complainant has  explained  that he  could not  lodge the  complaint during   journey  from Angul to Ahmedabad  as the concerned TTE did not supply  the  complaint  book.Further  it is  seen that the  complainant has   duly  lodged   complaint  No. 067142 on 28.12.2013 during  return journey and the  railway authority has duly accepted it. Thus, the complainant has taken prompt action.

 

Issue No.(iv):-     From the  foregoing  discussions made  in issue No.(i),(ii) & (iii)  it is  found that  the opp.parties  have made deficiency in service  and also  committed unfair trade  practice, for which   they are  liable  for penal action under C.P.Act,1986.So the  complainant  and  his  family  members  making  the  journey  are entitled to  get  compensation and  cost of the case.

 

5.     Hence ordered:-

: O R D E R :

 

        The  case is disposed  of on contest against opp.party No. 2 & 3  and  exparte   against  opp.party No.1.All the opp.parties are directed to  jointly and severally  pay  compensation  of Rs. 25,000.00 (Rupees Twenty-Five Thousand) only to the  complainant   for  causing  mental agony and  harassment  to  him and   his  family members and   sum of Rs. 10,000.00 (Rupees Ten Thousand) only towards cost of  litigation    within  one  month   from the date of  this order.   

                                                                    Order delivered in the open forum

today the  20^th  September,2016                                                      with hand   and seal of this Forum.

Typed to my dictation

and corrected by me                                          

                                                                          (Sri D. C. Mishra)

                                                                                    President.       

  (Sri D. C. Mishra)                                                             

         President .

 

                                                                                (Mrs. S. Mallick)

                                                                            Member.

 (Sri K.K.Mohanty),

    Member.