Mr. Y. Krishan, Member—District Forum, Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) passed an order in Complaint No. 18/90 Pran Nath Mahajan v. Telecom District Engineer, Dharamsala and Another on 9.1.1991. The complainant before the District Forum had alleged that the bill for the period from 16th November, 1988 to 15th January, 1989, issued on 1st of February, 1989 for Rs. 3,086/- was excessive. On his representation of the 6th of February, 1989 the Telecom District Engineer split the bill: Rs. 1,494/- was required to be paid immediately and the balance Rs. 1,592/- was treated as under dispute to be investigated. On 7th March, 1990 the District Telephone Engineer rejected the subscribers' complaint of excessive billing and required him to deposit the balance amount. In June 1990, the District Forum directed the General Manager, H.P. Circle of P&T to review this bill. The General Manager, after review, came to the conclusion that there was no error in billing.

2. Before the District Forum, the Appellant Telecom District Engineer submitted that the complaint regarding excessive billing had been investigated in detail at different levels and the meter had been kept under observation and thereafter