Consumer Court Directs Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam To Allot Seva Ticket Or Pay Rs 45 Lakhs To Devotee Who Had Been Waiting Since 2006

On a man's plea against the Tirumala Tirupati Devsthanam (TTD), the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Salem had directed the TTD to allot a ticket for Melchat Vastram Seva within a year after the public is allowed to witness the dharshan/sevas or in alternative to pay a sum of Rs 45,00,000 towards compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony. The complainant KR Hari Baskar had booked a Seva named "Melchat Vastram" paying a sum of Rs 12,250 in the year 2006. The date allotted for the performance of the Seva was 10th July 2020. However, during this time, the temple was closed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. In such circumstances, the complainant wrote to the Devasthanam requesting the Executive Officer to postpone the Seva to another date. In reply, the Assistant Executive Officer informed the complainant that his request for postponement will be considered. Later, the Deputy Executive Officer issued a notice informing the complainant that the TTD Board was providing an option to convert the Sevas into VIP break darshan or to get a refund of the amount of Seva. This was, however, not accepted by the complainant who again requested that he be given a new date for the Seva within one year after the public has been allowed in the temple. The TTD however, rejected this request. The CDRC held that the complainant was a consumer within the meaning of consumer under Section 2(7) of the Consumer Protection Act 2019. The complainant had booked a service by paying necessary amount, and this service was cancelled by the TTD who did not allow the complainant to perform the seva and instead gave other options. Thus, by such refusal the TTD had committed deficiency in service and had caused mental agony to the complainant. The CDRC thus, deemed it fit that the complainant be compensated appropriately for the deficiency of service and the mental agony. The CDRC therefore ordered the TTD to allow the complainant to witness the "Melchat Vastram Seva" within a year after the public has been allowed or in the alternative to pay a sum of Rs 45,00,000 towards compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony caused to the complainant. The CDRC also directed the TTD to refund the ticket amount of the seva within two months of the order.The operative order stated as follows :"The complainant has been waiting for this said seva for more than 1 1⁄2 decades after paying the requisite amount fixed by the Opposite party, but was not allowed to the seva/dharsan. It is decided that the Opposite party had committed deficiency of service to the complainant and had caused mental agony to the complainant by the act of the Opposite party. It would be appropriate that the complainant shall be compensated by the Opposite party for such deficiency of service and mental agony. In such circumstance, we find that it would be appropriate that the Opposite party is liable to be allowed to witness the "MELCHAT VASTRAM SEVA" within a year after the public has been allowed to witness the seva and intimate to the complainant prior to the date or the Opposite party would be liable to pay a sum of Rs.45,00,000/- (Rupees Fourty Five Lakhs Only) towards compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony caused to the complainant. Further it would be appropriate that the opposite party shall refund the complainant a sum of Rs.12,250/- towards the cost of the ticket amount. In the result, this complaint is partly allowed. The Opposite party is directed to allot the complainant a ticket for 'Melchat Vastram Seva' within a year after the public is allowed to witness the dharshan/sevas with prior intimation to the complainant or in the alternative to pay a sum of Rs.45,00,000/- (Rupees forty five lakhs only) to the complainant towards compensation for deficiency of service and mental agony caused to the complainant, ii) to refund the sum of Rs.12,250/- (Rupees twelve thousand two hundred and fifty only) to the complainant received towards the ticket amount, within two months from the date of receipt of this Order, failing which all the amounts shall carry interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the date of this Order till realization. No order as to cost".

Consumer Court Directs Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam To Allot Seva Ticket Or Pay Rs 45 Lakhs To Devotee Who Had Been Waiting Since 2006

Upasana Sajeev

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