Expedite process to facilitate redressal of grievances: CS
*Several provisions of Central Act remain unimplemented
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 1: There is no end to the dilly-dallying approach on the establishment of Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission at the Union Territory and District level as a result of which people have remained deprived of the platform which has been vested with the powers to protect their interests. Moreover, due to this several provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 have remained unimplemented.
With the winding up of various Commissions in erstwhile J&K State after implementation of J&K Re-Organization Act, 2019, the Government was to reconstitute the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (CDRC) and District Consumer Forums to redress the grievances of consumers in a time bound and effective manner.
In the months of February-March this year, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department started an exercise in this regard by inviting applications to fill the posts of President and Members of UT level Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in terms of Section 42 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 read with Rules framed there under.
Similarly, in the month of April this year, the applications were invited for appointment to the post of President, District Consumer Redressal Commission in different districts of the Union Territory in terms of Section 28 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Even Committee for selection of President and Members for the UT level Commission and District Forums was constituted in the month of February this year with Justice Tashi Rabstan, J&K High Court Judge as its Chairperson and Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Home Department and Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department as its members.
However, despite lapse of several months neither the UT level Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has been established nor the District Forums and those at the helm of affairs in the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs are not ready to speak on the reasons behind delay.
“Due to this, not only the consumers have remained deprived of the platform which as per the Central Act is supposed to protect their interests, even several provisions of the law enacted by the Parliament have remained unimplemented”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“Recently, the issue was discussed in a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who accordingly directed the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs that various Consumer Forums be constituted at the earliest to facilitate redressal of consumers’ grievances”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
EXCELSIOR made repeated telephone calls to Zubair Ahmed, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to ascertain the reasons behind delay in establishment of UT level Commission and District Forums but there was no response from his side.
However, Mohammad Nazir Sheikh, Special Secretary to the Government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, when contacted, refused to speak on the subject. “I don’t know anything….it is better to talk to Commissioner/Secretary of the department”, he added.
As per the Act, the UT level Commission is required to entertain the complaints where the value of the goods or services paid as consideration, exceeds rupees one crore, but does not exceed rupees ten crore.
Similarly, the Commission will handle complaints against unfair contracts, where the value of goods or services paid as consideration does not exceed 10 crore rupees; appeals against the orders of any District Commission and to call for the records and pass appropriate orders in any consumer dispute which is pending before or has been decided by any District Commission.
Similarly, the District Commission will have jurisdiction to entertain complaints where the value of the goods or services paid as consideration does not exceed one crore rupees etc. “Unless these Consumer Forums are established without further delay the grievances of the consumers cannot be redressed strictly as per the provisions of the Central Act”, sources said.
“With Chief Secretary explicitly directing the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to get these forums established at the earliest, it is hoped that files will start moving in the right direction”, sources added.
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