Non-compliance of consumer panel order: Warrant issued to TNSTC official, RTO
COIMBATORE: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Coimbatore, has issued bailable warrants to the Managing Director (MD) of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore Region, and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Coimbatore, for failing to execute the commission's order in the extra bus fare case.
The Commission issued this direction in a case filed by the Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC).
C Kathirmathiyon, Secretary of the CCC, told TNIE that he travelled on the 1C government bus on March 7, 2015, and Rs 8 was collected from him for the journey from Vadavalli to the Railway Station instead of Rs 5. In the return trip too he was charged the same extra fare.
He stated that he filed the case in the commission in 2015 seeking refund of the total excess Rs 6 fare with compensation and all the excess fare collected by the bus during the three years should be deposited to the Chief Minister Relief Fund (CMRF).
"In February 2018, the commission ordered the MD of TNSTC to repay me within two months the excess of Rs 6 collected from me. The MD was also directed to furnish a statement of the excess fare collected from other passengers between March 7, 2015, and February 15, 2018, and to submit it to the commission within two months," he said.
"The MD of TNSTC was asked to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 to be deposited in the CMRF within two months," he said.
"The commission directed the RTO, Coimbatore South, to take stringent action for the act of violation of permit condition by TNSTC, and to file action taken report to the Forum within two months, failing which, the RTO, apart from the action to be taken on TNSTC shall pay an amount of Rs 10,000 CMRF," Kathirmathiyon said.
"Against the order, the MD of TNSTC, Coimbatore, appealed to the State Consumer Commission in 2018, but the appeal was dismissed. He then filed a review petition in 2023, which was also dismissed," he said.
He said that the execution application was filed in November 2023 with the Coimbatore Commission.
"Following the commission's direction, TNSTC MD paid Rs 6,506 (Rs 6,500 for legal expenses and Rs 6 for excess fare refund) to me. The RTO, Coimbatore South, paid Rs 1,500 for legal expenses," Kathirmathiyon added.
"But the TNSTC claimed before the commission that the details of collection from 2015 to 2018 was not available and hence could not file the statement of excess collection," he said.
"Like this, the RTO had not filed an action-taken report within the stipulated time and had not submitted evidence for the payment of Rs 10,000 to CMRF," he said.
"On April 22, the commission issued bailable warrants against the MD of TNSTC, Coimbatore, and RTO Coimbatore South under Section 72 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019," Kathirmathiyon said.