By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, NOV 16, 2024: THE Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, convened a review meeting on the current status of vacancies within District and State Consumer Commissions across the country. The meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs, Ms Nidhi Khare, was attended by Principal Secretaries, Directors, and senior officials of the concerned Departments of States/UTs.

The Secretary, DoCA said that it is imperative that vacancies are filled up at the earliest possible to ensure that consumer disputes / cases are handled promptly and efficiently. She emphasized on the need to expedite the appointment of qualified candidates to fill vacant positions in Consumer Commissions nationwide. This call to action follows the government's commitment to ensuring that consumer grievances are addressed swiftly and effectively. The Secretary urged all States / UTs representatives to prioritize filling these roles, noting that the effective functioning of Consumer Commissions is vital for protecting consumer rights and upholding service standards.  

The meeting facilitated an in-depth analysis of vacancy data across the country. As of October 2024, significant vacancies remain in the positions of President and Member within both District and State Consumer Commissions. A total of 18 posts of President and 56 posts of members are lying vacant in the State Commissions. Similarly, 162 posts of President and 427 posts of Members are lying vacant in the District Commissions across the country. It was also noticed that the vacancies in consumer commissions have increased sizably as compared to previous years despite the best efforts by all. Secretary (CA) expressed her deep concern about these rising vacancies in the consumer commissions and urged the States/UTs to act swiftly and address this challenge.

While making reference to the enabling provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and also keeping in view the prevailing circumstances, she invited attention to the provisions of Section 32 of the Act, 2019, which allows additional charge to be assigned to another District Commission, if needed, so that the district consumer commissions remain functional.

The meeting resulted in a fruitful dialogue with States / UTs on the subject.  There was a consensus that filling of vacancies is essential to avoid delays in hearings and reduce the case backlog, which impact consumer justice. The Ministry is committed to work closely with all stakeholders on ensuring an efficient, objective, and transparent process for filling vacancies in consumer commissions. This initiative underscores the Ministry's commitment to strengthening the consumer redressal mechanism, aiming to enhance efficiency across the country.