Mr. Justice S.A. Kader, President — This is a public interest complainant filed by the Consumer Action Group and SMN Consumer Protection Council. This relates to the non-working of the telephones during the period of telecom strike from 3.11.90 to 22.11.90. The relief sought for are threefold :

(a) restoration of telecommunications; (b) grant of rebate for the period of non-working and (c) compensation to the subscribers.

2. The complaint is resisted and a counter denying the allegations are filed by the Assistant General Manager, Madras Telephones.

3. Relief (a) pertaining to the restoration of telecommunications has since been complied with, has become infructuous and the learned Counsel for the complainants did not press for this relief.

4. Relief (c) claiming compensation to individual subscribers is vague in the absence of evidence of loss and hardship caused to particular subscribers and advisedly the learned Counsel for the complainants did not advance any arguments on this aspect.

5. We are left with relief (b). Admittedly a large number of telephones went out of order during the period of strike and the question is the grant of rental rebate for the period of non- worki