R. Sandeep, advocate for the Ballari City Corporation, respondent in a pre-litigation case, argued that the District Legal Services Authority had no jurisdiction to decide the dispute regarding the supply of drinking water as a public utility service.
During the hearing here on Thursday, Mr. Sandeep filed a memo stating that such a dispute could be decided only by a permanent Lok Adalat established under section 22-B (1) of the Legal Services Authority Act of 1987.
“Permanent Lok Adalat is not established in Ballari by notification as required under the Act. Hence this authority has no jurisdiction to decide the dispute covered under section 22 – A (b) Chaper VI-A of the Act,” he said adding that he had filed a memo reserving the right of the respondent to file its written statement before the appropriate authority.
The Ballari Bar , represented by president Patel Siddareddy, had moved the pre-litigation petitionseeking directions from the authority to the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Ltd. and the Ballari City Corporation, through conciliation, to ensure the proper supply of electricity and drinking water.
C.V. Margoor, Principal District and Sessions Judge, who is also the chairman of the authority, posted the case to January 30th for hearing with regard to the jurisdiction issue.
