COIMBATORE: The district consumer disputes redressal commission has directed a construction firm to return Rs7 lakh to a consumer from the Rs22 lakh it received from him for abruptly halting work.
According to an official source, M S Soundararajan, of Edayarpalayam, approached a construction firm at Vilankurichi to build an office on the first floor of his house. The firm agreed to construct a 1,650sqft structure on the first floor and a 100sqft headroom on the second floor for a total cost of Rs26 lakh. Soundararajan paid Rs22 lakh, and the firm committed to completing the work by November 2020. However, the work progressed slowly, with frequent interruptions and excuses for delays.
On October 21, 2021, the construction firm stopped the work without any prior notice. Despite multiple attempts to contact them, there was no response or indication that the work would resume.
On October 24, 2021, heavy rain lashed Coimbatore, causing severe damage to Soundararajan’s house. A small tank built to collect rainwater filled up quickly. Since there was no drainage pipe, water began flooding the ground floor through the interior staircase, damaging electrical wiring, bookshelves, a television set and wooden artefacts.
Following this, Soundararajan filed a petition with the district consumer disputes redressal commission, stating that the firm had done work worth only Rs15 lakh and seeking a direction to return the remaining Rs7 lakh.
In its ruling, commission president R Thangavel and members P Marimuthu and G Suguna said halting the work before completion constituted a deficiency in service and ordered the construction firm to repay Rs7 lakh to the complainant, along with Rs25,000 in compensation and Rs5,000 towards the cost of legal proceedings.
