HUDA to pay scribe compensate correspondent

ROHTAK, July 24: The district consumer disputes redressal forum has directed the Haryana Urban Development Authority to pay Rs 5,785 immediately to Syed Khalique Ahmed, staff correspondent of Indian Express, failing which it will face penal action.

Syed Khalique Ahmed was allotted a 10-marla plot out of discretionary quota. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh cancelled the entire allotment. The judgment said: “The amount shall be refunded to the allottee within two months of the making of application by such person. If the HUDA fails to return the amount within two months of the making of the application, then it shall pay interest at the rate 15 per cent per annum.” Khalique applied for a refund of Rs 1,29,184 and the estate officer HUDA, Rohtak dispatched an unsigned cheque. Khalique, who was posted at Jodhpur, said this was done deliberately.

Khalique came all the way from Jodhpur to Rohtak to get it signed and encashed. This delayed the payment by about six months, he said in his complaint.

The consumer court rejected HUDA’s plea that the unsigned cheque was sent because of heavy work-load. The court directed the HUDA to pay a sum of Rs 5,535 as interest because of delay in encashing the cheque and Rs 250 as cost of litigation.