Lok Sabha Question No. 152 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-06
Subject: National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: ELUMALAI VELLAIGOUNDER, M. UDHAYAKUMAR

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *152

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2018

## NATIONAL CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION

## *152.  SHRI V. ELUMALAI: ADV. M. UDHAYAKUMAR:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  true  that  there  are  many  vacancies  of  members  in  the  National  Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the Government is struggling to fill up the same and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has extended the retirement date/age of members and Chairperson of the said Commission and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the disposal of cases filed in the Commission is at its lowest in four years while the number of cases filed has hit an all time high and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is also true that the people are not getting the relief which they expected while approaching the Commission and if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the details of consumer forums functioning in the country along with the details of the steps taken/being taken to strengthen these forums?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h ¼Jh jke foykl ikloku½

THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION  NO.*152 FOR 06.03.2018  REGARDING  NATIONAL  CONSUMER  DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION.

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- (a) & (b) :   Seven vacancies of Member and one of President in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), are to be filled up on a regular basis.  In pursuance of the order of Hon'ble Supreme Court  of  India  dated  11.12.2017  and  with  approval  of  Appointments  Committee  of  Cabinet  (ACC),  the tenure of President and the following four Members of NCDRC, whose tenure would have otherwise ended during December, 2017 to March, 2018,   has been extended up to 15 th April, 2018:

|   Sl. No. | Name of the incumbent                     | Date of completion of the present tenure   | Extension given up to   |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
|         1 | Justice D. K. Jain, President             | 24.01.2018                                 | 15.04.2018              |
|         2 | Justice Ajit Bharihoke, Member (Judicial) | 12.12.2017                                 | 15.04.2018              |
|         3 | Smt. Rekha Gupta Member (Non-Judicial)    | 13.01.2018                                 | 15.04.2018              |
|         4 | Dr. B. C. Gupta Member (Non-Judicial)     | 29.01.2018                                 | 15.04.2018              |
|         5 | Dr. S. M. Kantikar, Member (Non-Judicial) | 03.03.2018                                 | 15.04.2018              |

Thus, at present there are actually three physical vacancies of Member in NCDRC.

Action has already been taken for filling up the vacancies of Member and President in NCDRC.

(c) & (d) :   The year wise details of cases filed and disposed of in NCDRC are as under:

|   Year | Cases Filed   | Cases Disposed   |
|--------|---------------|------------------|
|   2014 | 6806          | 7043             |
|   2015 | 5943          | 7757             |
|   2016 |               | 7759 6173        |
|   2017 | 10719         | 6034             |

The cases filed in NCDRC has gone up to 10,719 in 2017 as compared to 6806 in 2014. However, due to vacancies of three Members in NCDRC, the disposal rate has gone down slightly to 6034 in 2017 from 7043 in 2014.

To provide further relief to consumers, the government has taken expeditious action to fill up the vacancies in NCDRC.

- (e)     :  Besides NCDRC, there are 35 State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions and 645 functional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Fora in the country.

As per the provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 1986, the State Governments are to establish the State Commissions and District Fora in the State and, consequently, provide infrastructure and manpower for their  functioning.  However,  to  supplement  the  efforts  of  State  Governments,  the  Central  Government  has been  providing  financial  assistance  to  the  States  under  the  scheme  'Strengthening  Consumer  Fora'  for construction  of  buildings  of  Consumer  Fora  and  also  for  acquiring  non-building  assets  for  them.  Further, under  another  scheme  'Consumer  Fora  Networking  (CONFONET)',  computer  hardware/software  and technical manpower are provided for computerization of functioning of Consumer Fora.

The Central Government has been writing to State Governments from time to time to take  action well in advance for filling up vacancies of President and Members and also to maintain a panel of candidates for filling up future vacancies so as to avoid delay in appointments.