Fill up consumer panels’ vacancies in eight weeks: Supreme Court to governments

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Centre and the states to fill up all vacancies in consumer dispute redressal commissions within eight weeks and pulled up governments for defeating the purpose of having the consumer protection law by not appointing members to deal with citizens’ grievances.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy said that if a state government failed to comply with its direction and all posts are not filled within two months, then the chief secretary of that state will be summoned to provide an explanation for non-compliance.
“States are defeating the purpose of the law which was enacted for the welfare of the people and to protect the rights of consumers. You do not want citizens to get readdressal of their problems. It is unacceptable. We are interfering as you are not putting your house in order,” the bench said after noting that a large number of posts are vacant in state and district consumer forums.
There are over 650 vacancies in state and district consumer panels and three posts are lying vacant in the national consumer forum.