Mr. Justice A.L Bahri, President — This appeal is by the Telephone Department challenging order of the District Forum dated April 25,1996, quashing telephone bill dated July 1, 1990 for a sum of Rs. 29,891 /- covering a period of about one year from July 9,1992 to May 15, 1991 for total calls of Rs. 29070/-. A direction was given to the Telephone Department to restore the telephone at the new address supplied by the complainant-Punjab Mandi Board. A sum of Rs. 5/000/- as compensation was allowed to the complainant to be paid by the Telephone Department with the further direction that the aforesaid amount be recovered from the official concerned found to be guilty in handling the case.

2. Telephone No. 58979 was used by Punjab Mandi Board through its Executive Engineer at his residence 37-C, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana. Regular bills for the period March, 1990 to January 1991, then from January, 1991 to March, 1991 and thereafter from March, 1991 to April, 1991 for a sum of Rs. 972/- Rs. 298 and Rs. 308/- respectively were received and paid. The bill in dispute was issued on July 1,1991 for a sum of Rs. 29,891 /-, which was alleged to be highly excessive, illegal, due to