Hyderabad: Lift firm faulted, fined by consumer forum

Hyderabad: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum-3 at Hyderabad has ordered a company that manufactures lifts to pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to a doctor who complained that the lift that he got installed in his building was malfunctioning.  

In his complaint, Dr Varanasi Rama Krishna Sastry, a resident of Krishna Nagar in Yousufguda, said that Esskay Elevators and Engineering Company of Banjara Hills, had installed Esskay Passenger Manual Door Elevator for four persons with 300 kg capacity at a cost of Rs 3.25 lakh in December 2013.

Within four months of its installation, the elevator was malfunctioning, landing on the ground floor with a jerk. Though the company tried to rectify the problem several times, it would recur within a few days.

“I contacted  "abc" Elevator and Escalators in the month of July 2015. A report submitted by this elevator company stated that the elevator was of an old design and was an obsolete model. The report pointed out that the shaft switches and other parts were of sub-standard quality that seem to be the reason for the erratic functioning of the elevator.”

The report from the elevator firm also mentioned that if electrical wiring is not done properly, the essential safety devices such as the over speed governor and automatic rescue device (which takes the lift to the nearest floor in case of power failure) etc, will not function.

The complainant alleged that the opposite parties installed a defective elevator and provided deficient service. The complainant said that he had to incur Rs 1.5 lakh in additional expenses.

The consumer forum ruled that Esskay had to compensate the complainant for its act of deficiency in service and ordered Rs 1 lakh in compensation and Rs 3000 towards costs.

RTC rejects senior citizen card; fined
The District Consumer Forum at Kadapa faulted RTC for not accepting senior citizen pension card as ID and asked it to pay Rs 10 (concession amount) and Rs 1000 as compensation.  

Mr  V. Ramakrishna Raju of Kadapa, in a complaint against APSRTC regional manager, Hindupur depot and Chief Traffic Manager of Anantapur region, said that the conductor demanded him to show his aadhar card and refused to accept the senior citizen card to give concession provided by the Government on the ticket and collected Rs 10 more from him.