Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 8: In a case in which a consumer of a cable service provider was found to have been charged over and above the actual charges the company is authorized to levy, Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum has imposed fine of Rs 13,000 on SAT-1, a cable TV service provider. The firm was found charging over and above the specified fee for the channels.

Laxmikanth, a resident of Vaidyanatha Nagar at Attavar, had got connection for television channels through a service provider named SAT-1. He had opted for certain television channels at the prescribed monthly rate of Rs 300. When he tried to view cricket matches through Star network sometime later, he could not access the channel. When he contacted the service provider, Laxmikanth was asked to pay Rs 20 extra to be able to view the said channel. As he refused to pay additional charges, he was not given access to the said channel.

The cable service owner did not heed to initial notices served by the Consumers Forum. Later he appeared before the forum. The forum, which arrived at the conclusion that consumer, Laxmikanth, had suffered on account of deficiency of service by the channel service provider, ordered SAT-1 cable service to provide Star TV channel to the petitioner without charging anything extra, and to pay compensation of Rs 10,000 and court cost of Rs 3,000. The concerned have been ordered to make the said payment within a month from the date of the pronouncement of this order.