IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE T.R.RAMACHANDRAN NAIR WEDNESDAY, THE 17TH MARCH 2010 / 26TH PHALGUNA 1931 WP(C).No. 6438 of 2010(D) -------------------------------------- PETITIONER(S): ----------------------- MARY CHACKO, WIFE OF CHACKO, 42/1195, PUKKUTTIL HOUSE, KAMMATTIPARAMBU, TATAPURAM.P.O, ERNAKULAM. BY ADV. MR.K.MOHANAKANNAN, SMT.A.R.PRAVITHA. RESPONDENT(S): -------------------------- 1. KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 2. THE ASST. EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, WATER WORKS SUB DIVISION, KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, KOCHI. 3. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, KERALA WATER AUTHORITY, ERNAKULAM. R1 TO R3 BY ADV. MR.DINESH, SC, KWA. THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 17/03/2010,THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: rs. T.R. RAMACHANDRAN NAIR, J. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ W.P.(C). No.6438/2010-D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dated this the 17th day of March, 2010 J U D G M E N T The petitioner is a domestic consumer having consumer No.42/529/D. She is residing in Ernakulam. According to the petitioner, from 2008 onwards the meter was not working and the total bill for water charges from 1/2008 to 10/2008 is Rs.156/-. Exts.P1 to P5 are the bills produced for the various months. She paid an amount of Rs.430/- on 02/08/2008. As per bill dated 31/03/2009, the respondents imposed water charges from November 2008 to February 2009 as Rs.20,220/-. It was also noticed that the meter is defective. Therefore, the petitioner filed Ext.P7 representation disputing the said claim. Thereafter, she was directed to remit a sum of Rs.5,000/- and on 30/04/2009 she remitted Rs.5,005/- as evidenced by Ext.P8. The testing of the meter showed that it was not working and Ext.P9 is the copy of the said report. Thereafter, a new meter was purchased as evidenced by Ext.P10. 2. Since the representation filed by the petitioner was not attended to, she filed a fresh representation as Ext.P11 and she was directed to pay Rs.5,000/- again. That was also paid. W.P.(C). No.6438/2010 -:2:- 3. Presently, she is aggrieved by Exts.P12 to P14 bills which show the total amount payable as Rs.23,030/-. Aggrieved by these bills, this writ petition has been filed. 4. The learned Standing Counsel for the Water Authority submitted that the petitioner has to approach the Executive Engineer by filing an appeal. Therefore, if the petitioner files an appeal within three weeks along with a copy of this Judgment before the third respondent and a further payment of Rs.5,000/-, the appeal will be considered and appropriate decision will be taken within a further period of two months. The recovery of balance amount will be kept in abeyance in the meanwhile. The writ petition is disposed of as above. No costs. (T.R. Ramachandran Nair, Judge.) ms