KOCHI: The Ernakulam Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has recommended setting up of an additional forum in the district to handle rising number of pending cases.
In a report submitted to the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the forum pointed out that over 1,500 cases were yet to be decided, and that majority of them were from Piravom and Muvattupuzha areas.
The forum receives around 1,000 complaints a year. Therefore, an additional forum could be set up given the backlog of cases and volume of complaints. Besides, it will be of immense help to people from far-flung areas, the report said.
At present, the forum holds sittings on the first and third Mondays of the month at the municipal hall at Piravom and the second and fourth Mondays at the Muvattupuzha court complex.
The additional forum, the report said, could be based at Piravom, so that it will benefit people from Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor, and Muvattupuzha.
No burden
Moreover, a forum at Piravom will cause no additional burden to the government, as it can be housed in the Civil Supplies Department building.
The report was submitted on the directive of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to superintendents of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode forums.
For the record, in a representation to the State government, RTI Kerala Federation president D.B. Binu had sought the establishment of additional forums for speedy disposal of pending cases.
He had pointed out that despite the Consumer Protection Act stipulating that cases be disposed of within three months, they were still pending, especially in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode forums.
While the Ernakulam forum has 1,714 pending cases, as many as 1,247 pending cases are on the docket of the Thrissur forum. The Thiruvanathapuram forum has 1,417 pending complaints.