ORDER

1. THIS APPEAL IS FILED AGAINST THE ORDER OF THE NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION DATED 3-4-2001.

2. BRIEFLY STATED, THE FACTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

THE APPELLANTS HAD FLOATED A SCHEME KNOWN AS ACCELERATED RELEASE OF POWER CONNECTION (ARPC). UNDER THE SCHEME INSTEAD OF DEPOSITING AT THE NORMAL RATE OF RS 400 PER KW, A CONSUMER COULD DEPOSIT AT THE RATE OF RS 750 PER KW. ON THAT AMOUNT SIMPLE INTEREST @ 7% P.A. WAS TO BE PAID. THE SCHEME PROVIDED THAT AFTER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS, FROM THE DATE OF DEPOSIT, THE AMOUNT DEPOSITED ALONG WITH INTEREST THEREON WOULD BE ADJUSTED AGAINST DUES OF FUTURE BILLS. IF THERE WAS A DISCONNECTION THEN THE DEPOSITED AMOUNT AND INTEREST WERE TO BE REFUNDED.

3. PURSUANT TO THE SAID SCHEME, THE RESPONDENT DEPOSITED RS 7,50,000 ON 24-3-1987. THE FIVE YEARS EXPIRED ON 24-3-1992. IT SEEMS THAT THE AMOUNT OF RS 7,50,000 WAS ONLY ADJUSTED BY THE APPELLANTS ON 2-4-1993. THE INTEREST AMOUNT THEREON WAS ADJUSTED ON 18-6-1993.

4. THE RESPONDENT FILED A COMPLAINT BEFORE THE DISTRICT CONSUMER FORUM CLAIMING THAT FOR THE PERIOD, AFTER THE END OF FIVE YEARS, DURING WHICH THE AMOUNT HAD NOT BEEN ADJUSTED, HE WAS ENTITLED TO INTEREST @ 22%. HE ALSO CLA