National Consumer Court Imposes Rs 5,000 Fine On Bihar Govt In 26-Year-Old Case

The National Consumer Court pulled up the Bihar Government and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for not providing the plot documents to the buyer. After the demise of the petitioner, his son and daughter-in-law were also dragged into the case and it's living proof of harassment by the state government, the court stated.

New Delhi: The National Consumer Court has reprimanded the Bihar State Housing Board in a 26-year-old case and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000. Justice AP Shahi and Justice Inderjit Singh's bench questioned the working style of the Bihar government and said, "A quarter of a century has passed. After the death of the petitioner, his second generation was also dragged into the case and harassed. In such a scenario, people will lose faith in the system."

According to details, a man identified as Awadhesh Pandey bought a plot in a project of Bihar State Housing Board in Motihari in the 80s. During the hearing, advocates Mohammad Ali, Shivesh Garg and Chhatresh Kumar Sahu, appearing on behalf of Awadhesh Pandey's son and wife, said that Awadhesh Pandey had been paying the EMI of this plot to the Bihar State Housing Board. In between, he could not pay some EMIs. After this, the Bihar State Housing Board refused to give the papers of the plot, accusing Awadhesh Pandey of paying the EMI late. Hence, Awadhesh Pandey filed a case in the District Consumer Forum in 1998.

Mohammad Ali said that the District Consumer Forum, while giving the verdict in favour of Awadhesh Pandey on October 12, 2000, held Bihar State Housing Board guilty of deficiency in service. The District Consumer Forum said that the Bihar State Housing Board recovered interest from Awadhesh Pandey for the late payment of EMI. When asked by the District Consumer Forum, the Bihar State Housing Board could not give information about the outstanding amount. Even the Housing Board could not show the notice that it had issued to Awadhesh Pandey for late payment of EMI. The District Consumer Forum ordered the Housing Board to provide documents related to the plot to Awadhesh Pandey.

The order of the District Consumer Forum was challenged by the Bihar State Housing Board in the Bihar State Consumer Forum after five years in 2015. The Bihar State Consumer Forum rejected the petition of the Housing Board on February 20, 2015. Meanwhile, Awadhesh Pandey died. Six years after the petition was rejected, the Housing Board filed a petition in the Bihar State Consumer Forum in 2021 seeking a re-hearing. The Bihar State Consumer Forum said that after a delay of six years, it does not have the jurisdiction to hear the petition. After that, the Housing Board filed a petition in the National Consumer Court.

The National Consumer Court, while hearing the petition of the Housing Board, had issued a notice making Awadhesh Pandey's son and wife parties. The National Consumer Court found that there is no irregularity in the order of the District Consumer Forum and the State Consumer Forum. The National Consumer Court questioned the working style of the Bihar government and said that dragging the second generation into this case after a quarter of a century is living proof of harassment by the state government. The National Consumer Court, while ordering the implementation of the order of the District Consumer Forum, also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the Bihar State Housing Board.