Forum fines agency for shoddy facilities

KAKINADA: The East Godavari District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here delivered a verdict against a transport agency which cheated pilgrims, promising to take them for the Haj Yatra and then reneging on the contract. The Forum directed the Noor Haj Service of Tambaram in Chennai to pay Rs 2.52 lakh to the complainant as it failed to provide services to him.

Shaik Jeelani, a retired employee, wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Haj, Umrah and Ziarath and the Noor Haj Service agency offered to send him to Makkha Madina and arrange all facilities for the Umrah Ramzan season for 30 days.
It undertook to arrange visas for Jeelani and his wife, charging them '2.40 lakh for the entire package.

The couple paid them Rs 2 lakh, with the remainder to be paid at the airport at the time of the journey. But the agency failed to send the couple to Makkha Madina in the Ramzan season and kept postponing refunding their money.

Vexed with these delays, Mr Shaik Jeelani approached the Forum here in February. Forum judge A. Radhakrishna and a member S.Bhaskar Rao delivered the verdict that the transport agency would have to pay Rs 2 lakh and Rs 50,000 for deficiency of services and another Rs 2,000 for the petitioner’’ expenses.

If the agency failed to pay this amount within a month, then an interest rate of 9 per cent would be applicable on the sum payable. The agency was not present at the Forum for the hearing of the case. Advocate G. Pyda Rao argued on behalf of the complainant.