JAN – 15: CERS MEDIATES
Finally, mill worker’s money order reaches wife in UP
Umashankar Chorasiya, a textile mill worker living in a hutment in Ahmedabad, sent Rs. 2,000 of his hard-earned money by money order to his wife Munanidevi living in village Madupur in Uttar Pradesh. He sent the money order from the Vatva GIDC post office on 11 June 2014. The money did not reach his wife. He made several inquiries at the post office but did not get a satisfactory response. Chorasiya was deeply troubled as his family in UP required the money urgently and he did not have the funds to send a money order again.
A good Samaritan came to his rescue. He contacted CERS, of which he is a member, on 5 September 2014 and requested the organisation to help Chorasiya. CERS immediately wrote to the postal authorities at Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Gazipur (UP). It is only after these letters were sent that the postal authorities investigated the reasons for delay. Three months after the money order was sent the money was handed over to the family.
HDFC Life refunds premium after agent ‘mis-sells’ policy
P.K. Satheesh, resident of Ahmedabad, took a HDFC Life policy in February 2013 from an agent. He opted for paying EMI of Rs. 3,000. However, Rs. 36,000 (annual premium) was deducted from his account. Satheesh found to his horror that the one year option had been ticked and his signature had been forged. He tried cancelling the policy on the grounds that it was a case of ‘mis-selling’ but his request was turned down.
HDFC Life was silent on the forgery and said that monthly premium was not an option in that particular policy. Satheesh threatened to file an FIR against the company. He also escalated the complaint by writing to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA). Still, HDFC Life did not take any action. Fed up, Satheesh contacted CERS which wrote to the MD of the company. It took several months of rigorous follow-up by CERS before the matter was settled. HDFC Life cancelled the policy and refunded the premium of Rs. 36,000.
Society, AMC stall water pipeline work, CERS intervenes
Sanjay Raval is a resident of Shree Yogeshwar Co-op Housing Society Ltd. in Ahmedabad. With increase in members and family expansion, the water needs of the 40-year-old society had risen. Tremendous hardship was being faced by the residents due to water shortage. Under the 80:20 municipal scheme, the society had paid Rs. 3.49 lakh (collected from members) and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had sanctioned a new pipeline for the society.
Work on the laying of the new water line started but was interrupted because of the monsoon and festival season in 2013. However, the chairman and secretary of the society did not show interest in resuming work. AMC too was delaying matters. Finally, Raval contacted CERS in March 2014 and requested it to intervene. CERS wrote to the society chairman asking him to expedite the pipeline work. It also spoke to AMC authorities on the matter. Finally, the problem was resolved.
