- (1.) THIS appeal, under Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 , (herein after called the Act for short) is directed against the order dated 6.2.2003 in Complaint No. 251/2002 by District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Raipur (hereinafter called the District Forum for short) whereby the complaint was allowed and the appellant was asked to pay Rs. 1,000/ - and cost of the appeal.
(2.) THE relevant facts no longer in disputes stated in brief are: that the appellant No. 1 -Co -operative Bank is the principal seat of the Bank, while appellant No. 2 is its branch at Devri Nagdi. Appellant No. 3 is the President of appellant No. 2. It is also not in dispute that appellants had given agricultural loan of Rs. 30,000/ - to the complainant/respondent. The said loan was repaid by the complainant/respondent by giving paddy worth Rs. 30,292/ -, on 21.2.2002 to appellant No. 3. However, despite repayment of loan in full as above, the amount was not adjusted in the books of the appellant nor complainant/respondent was given a proper receipt.
(3.) THE complainant prayed in the complaint that the loan amount be adjusted. He also prayed that as there was deficiency in service by the appellants as they failed to issue receipt, he be duly compensated by the appellants. Opposite party appellants resisted the complaint. Preliminary objection was raised by the appellants that the dispute was not governed by the provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 . Though it was admitted that paddy worth Rs. 30,292/ - was given by the complainant to the appellants, but no specific denial was made regarding the complainant s averment that proper receipt was not given to him. In para 9 of the written version of the appellants, it was averred that receipt was prepared on 20.2.2002 which the complainant was entitled to receive. It may also be noticed that the receipt was not given to the complainant till the pendency of the complaint.;