Circuit bench of National Consumer Commission to come to Chandigarh this month

CHANDIGARH: The apex consumer court, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, is once again coming to Chandigarh in the last week of September, 2019. The Circuit Bench will hear matters, appeals, revisions arising out of cases relating to UT State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. It was almost five years ago that the circuit bench of NCDRC had last come to city.
Justice (Retired) RK Aggarwal, President of the National Commission will be presiding over the Chandigarh Circuit Bench. Although, the final list of cases to be heard will be finalized by September 8, it is learnt that about 168 old cases of the years 2008 to 2015 will be heard.
According to RS Rawat, Secretary of the UT Commission, the sittings will take place at the Top Floor of the Chandigarh State Consumer Commission Building, Madhya Marg in Chandigarh. The NCDRC will hold its Circuit Bench sittings at Chandigarh for a week from September 23 to September 27, 2019.
According to consumer rights advocate, Pankaj Chandgothia, the Circuit Bench is coming to Chandigarh after a long gap of about five years. Earlier, a Circuit Bench heard matters relating to Chandigarh in its fortnight long sitting in November, 2014 and matters related to Haryana in its sitting in March 2015 and matters of Panjab in November 2015.
Chandgothia said that the purpose of holding Circuit Bench sittings at various places is to give quick justice at the doorsteps of the consumers so that they do not need to travel to Delhi for seeking redressal of their grievances.
The Central government has notified several places including Chandigarh for holding Circuit Benches under Section 22 C of the Consumer Protection Act. Earlier, the sittings have taken place at Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Shimla Kolkata and Nagpur.
Presently more than 300 cases are pending before NCDRC, New Delhi from the UT State Commission.
Justice (Retired) DK Jain, President of the National Commission is credited with the move of holding Circuit Benches of NCDRC outside New Delhi. The aim was fast redressel of complaints that come from various state commissions.