- (1.) APPELLANTS herein, who were OPs before District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Korea, Baikunthpur (C.G.) in Complaint Case No.23/2010, have been directed vide order dated 5.7.2011, to pay a sum of Rs.87,367, after adjusting the amount, already paid in respect of Recurring Deposit Account No.73443 to the complainant/respondent and also to pay interest at the rate, payable on saving bank account. Apart from it, cost of litigation, Rs.2,000, has also been directed to be paid. The appellants herein, have preferred this appeal on the ground that the Recurring Deposit Accounts of the complainant/respondent were irregular and so as per rules of the Post Office, the interest was required to be paid only at the rate of interest payable on saving bank account, which has already been paid and so, the District Forum, has committed an error in directing the appellants.
(2.) IN nutshell, the facts of the case are that, complainant/respondent opened two Recurring Deposit Accounts with respondent No.l/Post Office, respectively on 7.10.1999 and 29.11.1999, in which, a sum of Rs.600 per month was to be deposited. The agent of Post Office, Smt. Shobha Devi Agrawal was collecting amount of Recurring Deposits and was depositing the same with Post Office, but after 10 years, when amount had become matured, then the Post Office had paid less amount as maturity amount and had not paid interest @ 11% p.a., which was agreed between the parties, thus, it committed deficiency in service.
(3.) THE defence of the appellants was that both the Recurring Deposit Accounts were irregular, right from very beginning and no installments were paid for the period between June,2000 to December, 2000. The amounts which were payable in these seven months was paid in lump sum respectively on 30.12.2000 and 30.3.2001. Thus, from the inception, the Recurring Deposit Accounts, were irregular and, therefore, as per Post Office Rules for Recurring Deposit Account, only interest at the rate of saving bank account, was payable on such account and not at the rate payable on Recurring Deposit Account. Learned District Forum had not agreed with the defence taken by the appellants and allowed the complaint by the impugned order.;