B.K. Taimni, Member—Petitioners were the opposite parties before the District Forum, where the respondents/complainants had filed a complaint alleging deficiency in service on the part of the petitioner.

2. It was the case of the complainant before the District Forum that he was an employee of the first to third respondents, and after retirement a gratuity amount of Rs. 2,50,108/- was due to him which has not been paid and when the matter was not getting settled between the parties, a complaint was filed before the District Forum, who after hearing the parties directed the petitioners to pay Rs. 2,50,108 alongwith compensation of Rs. 25,000/- and cost of Rs. 2,000/-. Petitioners were directed to make these payments within a period of one month failing which it was to carry interest @10% p.a. from the date of filing the complaint till realisation. Aggrieved by this order an appeal was filed by the petitioners before the State Commission, which was dismissed, hence this revision petition before us.

3. Two legal submissions have been made by the petitioner before us, namely, that this is not a consumer dispute hence consumer fora cannot entertain this complaint. Secondly, the Distr