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| JKTDC to pay Rs 10 lakh to Amarbnath pilgrims who missed flight in June 2005 | | CDRC Order | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 9: In a landmark order Jammu and Kashmir Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, headed by Justice (Retd) GD Sharma, has finally delivered justice to Amarnath pilgrims by directing the State Tourism Development Corporation to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakhs in lieu of undergoing mental, physical, emotional trauma and financial losses during pilgrimage.
The Commission directed the Corporation to return the balance amount of Rs 20,000 lying with them unauthorizedly for willfully denying journey by air along with interest @8 per cent from the date of receipt till payment is made. Besides, the Corporation has been directed to pay litigation expenses to the tune of Rs 10,000. Justice Sharma has also directed the Corporation to recover the amount from the delinquent officials who were responsible for perpetuating sufferings to the complainant and his family members. The Commission maintained that such officials are accountable to the authorities and a suitable action of the present nature against them is the need of the hour to improve the work culture in the Corporation.
In his complaint Satish Sethi, a chartered accountant by profession, had submitted before the Commission that he along with his wife Sangita Sethi and two sons Sachin and Sahil Sethi had booked four helicopter tickets from Baltal to the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Shrine for undertaking to and fro journey on June 27, 2005 and subsequently paid Rs 40,000 as air fare.
The complainant in his complaint alleged that as per the instructions they reported at the helipad at 6 am but were forced to wait till 10.50 am when the flight took off. After offering prayers inside the holy cave shrine when the four family members of the complainant returned to board the chopper ahead of their deadline of 11.30 am they were told to wait for the next sortie, which never materialized.
In the absence of return sortie, the family was segregated and faced many hardships and vagaries of nature on return journey on foot. The complaint had stated that as he is over weight and sufficiently hefty no horseman agreed to ferry him on the horse back. My wife an asthmatic patient had never imagined and physically prepared for the tough journey which was risky in nature. The complaint had stated in his complaint that the entire journey was a harrowing experience for them and nightmare for the entire family. Before leaving the complainant had filed a FIR report in Kangan police station under FIR NO 07/2005."During return journey only the complainant carried entire money in his pocket and due to this all three family members had to resort to begging from the fellow pilgrims and even poney wallahs". According to the complaint the entire episode proved to be an incident of worst kind of humiliation and degradation.
Fixing accountability of the officials of the state Tourism Development Corporation Justice Sharma in his order stated that the concerned officials of the TDC have acted in a mala fide and capricious manner and are accountable to the complainant and his family members.
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