Breather for viewers in cable fee row

KOLKATA: Have you ever wondered why your cable operator keeps hiking the monthly fee on some flimsy pretext or other? Check out the rates in the neighbourhood, the cable man might well be taking you for a ride. The residents of an apartment complex in south Kolkata found they were being charged higher than the prevalent rate and took up the matter with the consumer court, which ruled that subscribers have a right to question sudden hikes.The court also said that any arbitrary hike in cable tariff was in violation of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986. The small, but significant victory for cable TV viewers was won by the residents of Ajanta Apartments on Gurusaday Road. They were approached by a cable operator in the early '90s — when cable TV had just entered the Kolkata air waves — with an offer they couldn't refuse. The operator claimed that he would be offering the lowest rates in the locality and assured the residents flawless service. But as the years went by, the residents realised that the tariff was steadily rising. In February 2005, the operator suddenly hiked charges to Rs 300. This time the residents decided not to give in. But the operator decided to play hooky with them. Things came to a boil when the operator disconnected the line on April 16. The next day was the high voltage India-Pakistan One-dayer. This provided the perfect opportunity for residents to seek justice. They lodged a complaint at the local police station seeking their intervention to watch the action at Ferozeshah Kotla. They also decided to take the matter to a consumer court and nominated one of their own, R.L. Dube, to represent them. Dube meticulously compiled facts and figures to prove they had been taken for a ride by their cable operator. A case was filed at the Calcutta District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (unit I). In their submission before the court the residents showed evidence that they were being overcharged — the same operator was taking much less (between Rs 200 and Rs 250) from others in the locality. A three member forum headed by its president P.N Bhadury passed an interim order on April 19, directing the operator not to disconnect the cable feed. The forum decided that during the interim period the Ajanta residents would pay Rs 200 per month.