Chennai: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Thiruvallur has directed an IT firm to refund Rs 7 lakh to Veltech Dr RR and Dr SR Technical University, Avadi, as the company failed to conduct innovative programme and causing inordinate delay in starting a designed training course in information ecosystems.
In the petition, registrar, Veltech Dr RR and Dr SR Technical University, Avadi, submitted that the educational institution has been running engineering colleges, management and science, nursing colleges, polytechnic and schools.
ADS Softek of Secundarabad approached the varsity in December 2010 and informed that the company had branches in India, Singapore, Malaysia and Kenya.
It also claimed it had a tie-up with information technology industry leaders including Microsoft, Cisco, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Cognizant, Cap Gemini and IBM.
It came forward with various academic programmes to help the students community particularly engineering college students. It assured of commencing Microsoft Innovation Alliance (MIA) Program and designed training course in information ecosystems. The University paid ADS Softek Rs 9,36,000.
The firm conducted seminars and awareness programmes in the institution on October 12, 2011, February 17, 2012 and on July 5, 2012. Several students enrolled for the programme.
In view of inordinate delay, the students enrolled for training lost interest. In view of the indifferent attitude of firm, the institution called off the training programme. Hence, Registrar sought the company to return the amount received from him and sent a notice on May 14, 2014.
In its reply, the MD and director of ADS Softek denied the allegations. After signing MoU and agreeing in all aspects including the charges and fees, there was no reason why the university backs out from their deal is nothing but a cheating tactics on the part of the complainant, not only against the opposite parties. Hence, the company sought for dismissal of the complaint.
The bench comprising president, S. Pandian and member S. Sujatha the company caused inordinate delay in conducting the training programme.
The innovation programme was pending for nearly for four years. The forum said because of the irresponsible attitude of the company the students were put to “irreparable” hardship. The bench directed the company to return Rs 7 lakh and pay a cost of Rs 10,000.
