Consumer forums can’t be mere rehabalitaion centres for retired: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court emphasized on Thursday that consumer dispute redressal commissions should not double as rehabilitation centers for retired judges and bureaucrats, calling for a comprehensive nationwide evaluation of these bodies. In a case involving members' pay and allowances, the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana cited a distressing report about consumers experiencing prolonged delays, sometimes up to four years, before receiving a hearing.

The court stressed that the members of these forums are demanding more amenities and compensations while vacancies and inadequate infrastructure persist. The judges questioned whether these commissions are truly fulfilling their intended purpose. The Court raised concerns about the low disposal rate of consumer commissions, including the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).

Advocate Priyadarshi requested the NCDRC president to submit a report detailing the total number of pending cases, the commission's composition (including vacancies), the average rate of resolution, the estimated time needed to decide pending matters, and the requirement for increasing the commission's staffing within two weeks.

Additionally, the Court asked for similar data from state commissions. Over 5.7 lakh cases are pending across the three-tier consumer dispute redressal system, with more than 4 lakh cases at district forums and 1.2 lakh at state forums. The Court also sought advice from the Attorney General regarding the potential creation of NCDRC regional benches to avoid consumers having to travel to Delhi for redressal.