Lok Sabha Question No. 580 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-06
Subject: Disposal of Cases in Consumer Commission
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 580

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2023

## DISPOSAL OF CASES IN CONSUMER COMMISSION

580. SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

## 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  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  educate  consumers  about  their  rights  and  the grievance redressal mechanisms available to them;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the average case disposal rate in all three levels of Consumer Commissions;
- (d) whether the Government has taken steps to strengthen the infrastructure of consumer commissions; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h (श्री अश्विनी क ु मार चौबे)

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b): The Department has been conducting country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns titled 'Jago  Grahak  Jago'.   Through  simple  messages,  consumers  are  made  aware  of  fraudulent  practices  or problems and the mechanisms to seek redressal. The campaigns have been carried out through print media, TV, radio, cinema theatres, websites, hoardings /  display board etc

In  order  to  create  awareness  amongst  the  people  living  in  rural  &  backward  areas,  the  Department takes part in important fairs / festivals / events of various States / UTs, in view of the fact that such fairs / festivals  /  events  draw  a  large  number  of  people  from  rural  and  backward  areas.  The  Department  also releases Grant-in-Aid to States / UTs for carrying out  consumer awareness activities with local content.

Further, the Department is using social media to generate  awareness of consumers through creatives/ captions  on  consumer  rights  and  redressal  mechanisms.  The  digital  social  media  channels  are  being professionally managed and creative content relevant to consumer awareness and protection of consumer rights is posted in the social media channels of the department.

'Jagriti',  a  mascot  for  empowering  consumers  and  generating  awareness  of their  rights  has  also  been launched by the Department.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, a three tier quasi-judicial mechanism, commonly known as  'Consumer  Commissions',  have  been  established  at  the  District  level  (District  Consumer  Dispute Redressal  Commission), State  level  (State  Consumer  Dispute  Redressal  Commission)  and  National  level (National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission) levels for the protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes. The consumer commissions are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award, wherever appropriate, compensation to consumers.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been established under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to regulate matters relating to consumer rights violations, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements that harm the public and consumer interests.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has also set up a National Consumer Helpline (NCH) to attend to consumer grievances. The website - www.consumerhelpline.gov.in has been launched by the Department of  Consumer  Affairs  to  create  awareness,  advise  and  redress  consumer  grievances  and  act  as  a  central registry for lodging consumer grievances.  Under the convergence model, which is an out of court dispute redressal mechanism, NCH partners with companies who have a proactive approach for efficient consumer complaint resolution. NCH escalates and follows up the complaints received at NCH with the convergence company and grievances pertaining to them, as soon as it is submitted, almost instantly.

(c) :  Section 38(7) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 prescribes that every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months  from  the  date  of  receipt  of  notice  by  the  opposite  party  where  the  complaint  does  not  require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months if it requires analysis or testing of commodities.

During 2022, number of consumer cases which were disposed of is more than the number of cases filed.

(d) &(e) : The Central Government has been providing financial assistance to the State Governments under the  scheme,  'Strengthening  Consumer  Commissions'  for  strengthening  the  infrastructure  of  consumer Commissions so that a minimum level of facilities is made available at each Consumer Commission.

The financial assistance is provided for the creation of build up area of upto 5000 sq. ft. in respect of the District Commission building and 11000 sq. ft. in respect of the State Commission building, which include in both cases 1000 sq. ft. for the construction of a Mediation Cell.

Assistance for non-building assets is also provided for the purchase of furniture, computer, office equipment,  library  books  etc  within  the  overall  cost  ceiling  of  Rs.  25.00  lakhs  in  respect  of  a  State Commission and Rs.10.00 lakhs in respect of a District Commission.

Department of Consumer  Affairs also operates a scheme  'Computerization  and  Computer Networking  of  Consumer  Commissions  in  the  country  (CONFONET)'  to  fully  computerize  all  the Consumer  Commissions  in  the  country  to  enable  access  to  information  and  quicker  disposal  of  cases. Under the scheme, hardware, software and technical manpower are provided to the Consumer commissions.

A Consumer Commission online application portal named 'edaakhil.nic.in' has been developed to facilitate  the  consumers/advocates  to  file  consumer  complaints  online  through  the  e-Daakhil  portal  from home or anywhere at their own comfort. E-daakhil has been operational in 35 States/UTs of the Country.

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