New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has once again found itself at the receiving end with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) directing it to compensate a woman for delay in handing over the possession of a shop by seven years.

While upholding the state consumer commissions order, NCDRC enhanced the compensation to Rs 80,000 to be paid by the authority to one Iqbal Kaur for failing to give her possession of a shop in time. We are of the view that in the interest of justice and equity, there is a need to enhance the quantum of compensation. We therefore, enhance the compensation from Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000, the court said, while directing the authority to pay it within two months of the order.

Delhi resident Kaur had purchased the shop for 4,86,205 in 1996. Despite making the payment, she was not given the possession. She wrote several letters to the authority, but the shop was not given to her until 2003,she had claimed.

Ten months before the delivery of possession, she had filed a consumer complaint before the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking possession,along with a refund of excess amount paid and Rs 11 lakh compensation. The state commission allowed the complaint but gave her Rs 50,000 as compensation.

Following this, Kaur moved the national consumer court for an enhancement. At thi, DDA challenged the plea saying that half the compensation amount had already been paid to the complainant and no case was made out for its enhancement. After going through the arguments, the national consumer court rejected the plea of DDA. While enhancing the compensation, it said that delay in payment of compensation would entail an interest of 9% per month.

Source – http://epaper.timesofindia.com/