More than 5.93 lakh consumer cases are pending before consumer commissions across the country, while nearly 864 posts of presidents and members remain vacant at the state and district levels, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs B.L. Verma said 16,915 cases are pending before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), 1,27,507 before State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs) and 4,48,687 before District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (DCDRCs), taking the total pendency to 5,93,109 cases.
The government said the responsibility for filling vacancies in state and district consumer commissions rests with the respective state governments under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The appointment process is required to begin at least six months before a vacancy arises, while states are also responsible for providing adequate staff to these commissions.
As of now, the NCDRC has three vacant member positions. Across state consumer commissions, 18 president posts and 74 member posts are vacant against a sanctioned strength of 36 presidents and 167 members. At the district level, 234 president posts and 538 member posts are vacant against a sanctioned strength of 637 presidents and 1,416 members.
The ministry said the Consumer Protection Act allows state governments to assign the jurisdiction of one district commission to another or authorise the president or a member of another commission to discharge functions where vacancies exist.
It added that appointments to state and district consumer commissions are presently governed by proceedings before the Supreme Court in the Dr. Mahendra Bhaskar Limaye matter. The Department of Consumer Affairs has filed an affidavit, a miscellaneous application and a review petition before the apex court, where the matter remains sub judice.
