Lok Sabha Question No. 385 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-05
Subject: Consumer Disputes Redressal
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA, B.V. NAYAK, NAGARAJAN P.

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 385 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.02.2019

## CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL

385.  SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA: SHRI B.V. NAIK: SHRI P. NAGARAJAN:

## 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 a fact that the Consumer Protection Act was enacted to provide better protection of interest of the consumers, if so, the extent to which it has achieved its objectives;
- (b) the  total  expenditure  incurred  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  till  date  on  the maintenance  of consumer  courts, viz.  National  Consumer  Dispute  Redressal  Commission (NCDRC), State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) and District fora, including the salaries and allowance of their Members;
- (c) the total number of complaints received and cases registered in various consumer courts during the last three years and the current year till date and the number of complaints decided in favour of the complainants along with the details of disposal of cases during the said period by  NCDRC and SCDRC member/Branch wise in the country; and
- (d) the action taken by the Government to dispose of the remaining cases?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a)  :  Yes, Madam. Enactment of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 has set in motion a veritable consumer movement  in  the  country.  Under  the  Consumer  Protection  Act,  1986,  a  three  tier  quasi-judiciary machinery has been set up at District, State and National levels for better protection of the interests of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes.  At present, 647 District Fora, 35 State Commissions and at the apex level National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) are functioning. As on 31.12.2018, a total of 50,89,368 cases have been filed and 46,34,698 cases  have  been  disposed  of  in  all  these  Consumer  Fora  since  their  inception,  thereby  achieving  a disposal rate of over 91%.

- (b)  :  Total  expenditure  incurred  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  till  31.12.2018  on  the maintenance of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) is given below.

| Year                      |   Expenditure (in crore) |
|---------------------------|--------------------------|
| 2015-16                   |                    11    |
| 2016-17                   |                    12.89 |
| 2017-18                   |                    14.32 |
| 2018-19 (till 31.12.2018) |                    12.42 |

However,  maintenance  of  State  Commissions  and  District  Fora  are  the  responsibility  of  State Governments concerned.

- (c) :  As per information available on Confonet website, total number of complaints filed and disposed of during the last three years & the current year in the National Commission, State Commissions & District Fora is given below:

|                | 2016   | 2016     | 2017   | 2017     | 2018   | 2018     | 2019   | 2019     |
|----------------|--------|----------|--------|----------|--------|----------|--------|----------|
|                | Filed  | Disposed | Filed  | Disposed | Filed  | Disposed | Filed  | Disposed |
| NCDRC          | 7733   | 6070     | 10807  | 5899     | 9005   | 6378     | 623    | 355      |
| SCDRC          | 32222  | 21773    | 34621  | 25875    | 28765  | 23304    | 2166   | 1530     |
| District Forum | 132462 | 113832   | 122225 | 107539   | 119653 | 96150    | 8519   | 6770     |
| Total          | 172417 | 141675   | 167653 | 139313   | 157423 | 125832   | 11308  | 8655     |

However,  no  data  related  to  consumer  cases  disposed  of  in  favour  of  consumers  is  being maintained.

(d) :  The following are the steps taken to dispose of pendency in consumer fora:-

- (i)    The National Commission holds Circuit Bench sittings as per the provisions of Section 22 C of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, for rendering speedy justice at the doorsteps of the consumers of that particular State.
- (ii)    Some  of  the  State  Commissions  and  District  Fora  are  holding  Lok  Adalats  for  speedy disposal of the cases.
- (iii)  National Commission also conducts sittings during summer vacation.
- (iv)  The National Commission has also constituted Single Member Bench(es) for speedy disposal of cases.
- (v)  In the National Commission, matters of the same / similar nature are being bunched together and disposed of.