The country's apex consumer body has asked the Rajasthan Postal Department to pay Rs 25,000 to a student who lost an academic year because of a delayed admission form.
Rajasthan resident Garima Gupta's application for admission to an institution was delayed by seven days despite being sent through Speed Post, a quick service delivery system of the postal department. The form was expected to reach its destination within 24 hours.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) here dismissed a revision petition filed by the department against a state commission order on this.
The department was asked to pay her Rs 20,000, besides the Rs 5,000 spent on litigation.
"In regard to the fact that a young student has lost a valuable one year in getting admission to the institution of her choice, the compensation of Rs 20,000 cannot be described as excessive by any standard," the NCDRC.
A district forum had passed the order against the department which was upheld by the state commission and then the NCDRC on May 1.
The commission noted that the postal department had conducted no enquiry into the matter.
The panel also noted that the appeal filed by the department was delayed by 91 days before the state commission and by 39 days before the NCDRC.
"This amply demonstrates the lackadaisical approach of the petitioner department at every stage of its affairs," the apex commission said.
According to the compliant filed by Gupta's father in 2012, the postal department took seven days in delivering his daughter's application form sent through Speed Post to the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Jaipur. The form was expected to reach the institute in 24 hours.
The district forum had directed the department to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation for the loss of one academic year and litigation expenses of Rs 5,000.
The postal department, however, took refuge in the Indian Post Office Act which exonerates it from any kind of liability on account of loss, mis-delivery, delay or damage to an article while being sent.
The department also submitted that it was ready to refund the Rs 25 that Gupta had paid in postal charges.
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