PATHANAMTHITTA: The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), represented by its secretary, to pay Rs.7,500 towards compensation to Gopi of Vazhamuttom, near Omalloor, for not providing nadaswaram for the marriage of his daughter held at Kodunthara Sree Subrahmaniya Swami Temple attached to the TDB on September 5, 2001.

The marriage of the complainant's daughter was reportedly solemnised between 10.50 a.m. and 11.15 a.m. on September 5. Mr. Gopi, represented by his lawyers C. Prakash and Jaison Mathews, had moved the forum seeking compensation from the TDB for not playing nadaswaram even though he had remitted Rs.1,549.5 at the TDB office in Pathanamthitta in advance for the conduct of the marriage ceremony that included the fee for the nadaswaram.

There were also allegations of certain TDB staff making references to the complainant's caste and questioning his social status.

The TDB had informed the forum that it could not arrange the nadaswaram as the marriage was solemnised at the time of `Utchapuja' at the temple.

The forum, presided over by P. Vijayan, in the presence of the members M.K. Parameswaran and C. Lathika Bhai, found that the marriage of the complainant's daughter was solemnised after 10.50 a.m. The TDB record showed 10.30 a.m. as the timing of the Utchapuja. The forum also maintained that there was no evidence to prove the TDB claim that the `Utchapuja' time was extended from its usual time of 10.30 a.m. owing to the Aranmula Uthrittathi festival on that day. It maintained that the deficiency of service on the part of the TDB had caused loss, mental agony and inconvenience to the complainant.

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