Lok Sabha Question No. 5127 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Vacancies in Consumer Commissions
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri V K Sreekandan

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5127

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## VACANCIES IN CONSUMER COMMISSIONS

## 5127.  SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of existing vacancies under various categories in consumer commissions at the National, State and district levels;
- (b) whether  it  is  true  that  the  Government  is  considering  to  fill  up  these  vacancies  in  a  time  bound manner;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is also true that the Government is considering to improve the functioning by strengthening the Consumer Commissions; and
- (e ) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

(a)  to  (c)  :  At  present,  there  are  two  vacancies  of  members  in  National  Consumer  Disputes  Redressal Commission.  The  details  of  existing  vacancies  in  State  and  District  Consumer  Disputes  Redressal Commission are at Annexure.

As per Section 32 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, if, at any time, there is a vacancy in the office of the President or Member of the District Commission, the State Government may, by notification, direct -

- a) any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the jurisdiction in respect of that district also; or
- b) the President or a member of any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the President or member of that District Commission also.

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Consumer  Protection  Act,  2019,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the  State Governments  to  fill  up  the  vacancies  of  President  and  Members  in  the  State  Commissions  and  District Commissions. Further, as per Rule 6(4) of the Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of  recruitment,  procedure  of  appointment,  term  of  office,  resignation  and  removal  of  the  President  and members of the State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020, the process of appointments shall be  initiated  by  the  State  Government  atleast  6  months  before  the  vacancy  arises.  Also,  the  Central Government  has  been  continuously  taking  up  with  the  State  Governments/UT  Administrations  for expeditious filling up of the existing and anticipated vacancies of President and Members of the Consumer Commissions.

(d) & (e) : To  supplement  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments,  the  Central  Government  provides financial  assistance  to  the  State  Governments  under  the  'Strengthening  Consumer  Commissions'  (SCC) Scheme for strengthening the infrastructure of consumer commissions so that minimum level of facilities are made available at each consumer commission. So far, a total of ₹ 27.56 Crores has been released to various States/U.Ts for the upgradation of infrastructure of consumer commissions.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (c) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.  5127  TO  BE  ANSWERED  ON  02.04.2025  REGARDING  VACANCIES  IN CONSUMER COMMISSIONS.

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| S. No   | State                   | State Commission   | State Commission   | State Commission   | State Commission   | District Commission   | District Commission   | District Commission   | District Commission   |
|---------|-------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| S. No   | State                   | President          | President          | Member             | Member             | President             | President             | Member                | Member                |
| S. No   | State                   | Sanctioned Post    | Vacant Post        | Sanctioned Post    | Vacant Post        | Sanctioned Post       | Vacant Post           | Sanctioned Post       | Vacant Post           |
| 1       | A&N Island (UT)         | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 0                  | 1                     | 0                     | 2                     | 2                     |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh          | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1                  | 17                    | 1                     | 34                    | 1                     |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh       | 1                  | 1                  | 2                  | 2                  | 25                    | 0                     | 50                    | 41                    |
| 4       | Assam                   | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1                  | 23                    | 3                     | 46                    | 2                     |
| 5       | Bihar                   | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 0                  | 38                    | 21                    | 76                    | 40                    |
| 6       | Chandigarh (UT)         | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 1                  | 2                     | 0                     | 4                     | 1                     |
| 7       | Chhattisgarh            | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 3                  | 17                    | 7                     | 54                    | 17                    |
| 8       | D&N Haveli and D&D (UT) | 1                  | 1                  | 3                  | 2                  | 1                     | 1                     | 2                     | 1                     |
| 9       | Delhi (UT)              | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 1                  | 10                    | 1                     | 20                    | 4                     |
| 10      | Goa                     | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 2                  | 2                     | 0                     | 4                     | 0                     |
| 11      | Gujarat                 | 1                  | 0                  | 8                  | 3                  | 38                    | 24                    | 76                    | 46                    |
| 12      | J&K (UT)                | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1                  | 10                    | 6                     | 20                    | 10                    |
| 13      | Kerala                  | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 3                  | 14                    | 5                     | 28                    | 26                    |
| 14      | Ladakh (UT)             | 1                  | 1                  | 2                  | 2                  | 2                     | 2                     | 4                     | 3                     |
| 15      | Lakshadweep (UT)        | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 0                  | 1                     | 0                     | 2                     | 0                     |
| 16      | Haryana                 | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 0                  | 22                    | 2                     | 44                    | 6                     |
| 17      | Himachal Pradesh        | 1                  | 0                  | 2                  | 2                  | 4                     | 0                     | 24                    | 17                    |
| 18      | Jharkhand               | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 3                  | 24                    | 6                     | 48                    | 13                    |
| 19      | Karnataka               | 1                  | 1                  | 8                  | 7                  | 33                    | 14                    | 66                    | 12                    |
| 20      | Madhya Pradesh          | 1                  | 1                  | 5                  | 3                  | 25                    | 5                     | 102                   | 32                    |
| 21      | Maharashtra             | 1                  | 0                  | 11                 | 4                  | 40                    | 10                    | 80                    | 24                    |
| 22      | Manipur                 | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1                  | 3                     | 0                     | 6                     | 6                     |
| 23      | Meghalaya               | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 2                  | 7                     | 0                     | 14                    | 1                     |
| 24      | Mizoram                 | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 2                  | 11                    | 0                     | 22                    | 4                     |
| 25      | Nagaland                | 1                  | 0                  | 2                  | 1                  | 16                    | 0                     | 32                    | 10                    |
| 26      | Odisha                  | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 0                  | 31                    | 17                    | 62                    | 44                    |
| 27      | Puducherry (UT)         | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 2                  | 1                     | 0                     | 2                     | 0                     |
| 28      | Punjab                  | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 1                  | 23                    | 5                     | 46                    | 14                    |
| 29      | Rajasthan               | 1                  | 0                  | 10                 | 3                  | 37                    | 11                    | 74                    | 42                    |
| 30      | Sikkim                  | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 2                  | 6                     | 0                     | 12                    | 6                     |
| 31      | Tamilnadu               | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 4                  | 30                    | 3                     | 64                    | 16                    |
| 32      | Telangana               | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 0                  | 12                    | 3                     | 24                    | 3                     |
| 33      | Tripura                 | 1                  | 0                  | 2                  | 0                  | 4                     | 1                     | 8                     | 0                     |
| 34      | Uttarakhand             | 1                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1                  | 13                    | 9                     | 26                    | 1                     |
| 35      | Uttar Pradesh           | 1                  | 0                  | 4                  | 1                  | 79                    | 35                    | 158                   | 77                    |
| 36      | West Bengal             | 1                  | 0                  | 10                 | 5                  | 26                    | 17                    | 52                    | 16                    |
| Total   | Total                   | 36                 | 18                 | 161                | 66                 | 648                   | 209                   | 1388                  | 538                   |

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