Hyderabad: The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has ordered that a delayed complaint filed by a consumer should be accepted if the delay was caused by the service provider, making things easy for people.
Giving its verdict in a case filed by Vizag-based Krishna against Usha-doya Real Estates, the national forum said, “In India, most of the consumers do not approach consumer courts when things go wrong. They do it after undergoing an ordeal due to the lack of awareness. However, if the service provider is the major reason for the delay in filing the complaint and if the delay is reasonable enough, the complaint of the consumer could be accepted.”
The national forum was commenting on the rejection of Mr Krishna’s plea by district forum as well as AP State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission due to the inordinate delay in seeking legal redressal.
Mr Krishna and his brother, both residents of Vizag, had bought two plots from Ushodaya Real Estates in Srikakulam in 1996 on installment basis. The plots were not handed over to them even after paying all EMIs.
After a long tussle with the developer, the buyers found that the plots — for which they were paying EMIs — were registered to somebody else.
Despite this, they wasted two years and filed a case in district consumer forum in November 2011, about 89 days after the limitation time. The national forum, however, condoned the delay with a fine of Rs 5,000.
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