ORDER :

1. The petitioner, being the claimant, has filed this application seeking to quash the award dated 13-7-2000 passed by the Arbitrator-cum-Area Manager, Telecom (City), Office of the G.M. Telecom, Cuttack under S.7B of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, directing to pay the outstanding amount of Rs. 8,40,568.00/- in forty equal instalments, the last date of each instalment will be 7th of every month starting from the month of August, 2000.

2. The factual matrix of the case, in hand, is that the petitioner is the former member of Parliament (10th Lok Sabha) from Kalahandi Constituency in the State of Odisha. He continued in office from 1991 up to 15th May, 1996. Being a member of Parliament, he was provided with certain privileged facilities including telephone facility. Such facility is governed under the Housing and Telephone Facilities (Members of Parliament) Rules, 1956. The said Rule has been framed in exercise of the power conferred by the Central Government under the Salary and Allowances of Member of Parliament’s Act, 1954. In terms of the aforesaid Rules, as it stood prior to the amendment on 30th August, 1997, a Member of Parliament was entitled to have one telephone at