Delhi HC Notice To AAP Govt For Not Doing Enough To Enable Consumers Benefit From Consumer Protection Act [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to show cause why rule nisi be not issued against it for its failure to take effective steps to fill up vacancies, adopting summary procedures and providing infrastructure in the various consumer forums to ensure speedy disposal of consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, which is a beneficial legislation.A bench of Chief. The Delhi High Court has asked the Delhi government to show cause why rule nisi be not issued against it for its failure to take effective steps to fill up vacancies, adopting summary procedures and providing infrastructure in the various consumer forums to ensure speedy disposal of consumer complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, which is a beneficial legislation. Relying on RTI response received from the Delhi government’s Department of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs, the petitioner said, “…it has been more than 32 years since the Act came into existence, still the consumer complaints are lingering in the State Commission and District Foras for years together, due to which the object of the Act has lost its sheen. The reasons for various delay/pendency in the disposal of consumer complaints are many, such as vacant positions in District Foras, lack of infrastructure, untrained staff and not adhering to the summary procedure by the State Commission and District Foras etc.” The petitioner also informed the court that as per the data received in response to an RTI application, in the beginning of June 2018, the total number of cases pending jointly in state commission and district forums was 23,718, which by the end of the month touched 23,887.