Consumer Commissions mandated by the law to render simple, inexpensive and speedy adjudication of consumer complaints


Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, consumers can file  complaints against any defect in goods purchased or deficiencies in any services availed including any unfair/restrictive trade practices adopted, through specialized quasi-judicial agencies, commonly known as ‘Consumer Commissions’, that have been established at the District level (District Commission), State level (State Commission) and National level (National Commission). These Consumer Commissions have been mandated by the law to render simple, inexpensive and speedy adjudication of consumer complaints.

Details of consumer complaints filed in the consumer commissions across the country during the last three years 2018, 2019 and 2020 are given below-

 

CASES FILED IN DISTRICT COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2018-20

 

Year

States/ UTs

2018

2019

2020

  1.  

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT)

24

34

29

  1.  

Andhra Pradesh

1935

1987

1082

  1.  

Arunachal Pradesh

26

27

5

  1.  

Assam

406

354

220

  1.  

Bihar

3023

3242 

1635

  1.  

Chandigarh (UT)

1424

2346

1346

  1.  

Chhattisgarh

4531

4248

3267

  1.  

Dadra and Nagar Haveli  & Daman & Diu (UT)

8

3

0

  1.  

Delhi (UT)

4362

4255

2485

  1.  

Goa

169

182

131

  1.  

Gujarat

8222

11545

8461

  1.  

Haryana

7507

11387

8485

  1.  

Himachal Pradesh

1411

1494

478

  1.  

Jammu & Kashmir (UT)

413

189

0

  1.  

Jharkhand

1224

948

352

  1.  

Karnataka

8911

8888

5594

  1.  

Kerala

4729

4937

4174

  1.  

Ladakh (UT)

0

0

0

  1.  

Lakshadweep (UT)

0

0

0

  1.  

Madhya Pradesh

8466

12315

10400

  1.  

Maharashtra

14963

16689

11698

  1.  

Manipur

18

25

12

  1.  

Meghalaya

48

39

20

  1.  

Mizoram

67

49

34

  1.  

Nagaland

12

1 1

0

  1.  

Odisha

2934

3372

2834

  1.  

Puducherry (UT)

41

54

28

  1.  

Punjab

8524

9667

7540

  1.  

Rajasthan

10682

9817

9355

  1.  

Sikkim

25

27

6

  1.  

Tamil Nadu

2826

3107

1729

  1.  

Telangana

2176

2262

1524

  1.  

Tripura

109

149

118

  1.  

Uttar Pradesh

16856

18037

13013

  1.  

Uttrakhand

1172

1358

1523

  1.  

West Bengal

5088

5517

3409

                   TOTAL

1,22,332

1,38,550

1,00,987

 

 

CASES FILED IN STATE COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2018-20

 

Year

States/ UTs

2018

2019

2020

  1.  

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT)

2

8

2

  1.  

Andhra Pradesh

739

540

99

  1.  

Arunachal Pradesh

1 1

3

0

  1.  

Assam

127

72

12

  1.  

Bihar

168

87

39

  1.  

Chandigarh (UT)

887

646

303

  1.  

Chhattisgarh

1190

1090

386

  1.  

Dadra and Nagar Haveli (UT) & Daman & Diu (UT)

0

0

0

  1.  

Delhi (UT)

2357

1864

471

  1.  

Goa

194

129

44

  1.  

Gujarat

1297

1143

826

  1.  

Haryana

2236

1624

659

  1.  

Himachal Pradesh

459

536

195

  1.  

Jammu & Kashmir

715

172

0

  1.  

Jharkhand

332

139

37

  1.  

Karnataka

1692

1930

1298

  1.  

Kerala

990

616

341

  1.  

Ladakh (UT)

0

0

0

  1.  

Lakshadweep (UT)

1

0

0

  1.  

Madhya Pradesh

829

2831

842

  1.  

Maharashtra

4433

5869

2140

  1.  

Manipur

14

10

5

  1.  

Meghalaya

3

0

0

  1.  

Mizoram

1 1

3

2

  1.  

Nagaland

10

6

1

  1.  

Odisha

700

542

285

  1.  

Puducherry (UT)

17

7

66

  1.  

Punjab

1817

1874

608

  1.  

Rajasthan

2042

2102

799

  1.  

Sikkim

5

7

0

  1.  

Tamil Nadu

862

808

208

  1.  

Telangana

1029

1100

1091

  1.  

Tripura

47

52

16

  1.  

Uttar Pradesh

2904

1984

660

  1.  

Uttrakhand

331

508

188

  1.  

West Bengal

2293

2321

703

                         TOTAL

15,304

13,829

5,401

 

CASES FILED IN NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2018-20

 

Year

FILED

2018

8992

2019

7800

2020

3111

 

In addition to the legislative measures, a National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has been set up, which serves as a pre-litigation alternate dispute resolution mechanism, with toll free number 1800-11- 4000 or short code 14404 to handle the consumer grievances. Further, to cater to the needs of consumers of different regions, six Zonal Consumer Helplines have been set up each at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jaipur, Guwahati & Patna to attend to consumer grievances in regional languages.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which has come in to force with effect from the 20th July, 2020, provides for a number of measures for simplification of the adjudication process in the Consumer Commissions such as filing of complaints electronically and filing complaint in a Consumer Commission that has jurisdiction over the place of residence/work of the consumer, review of their own orders by the Consumer Commissions in the case of error apparent on the face of records, provision of videoconferencing for hearing, deemed admissibility of complaints if not admitted within the prescribed time limit of 21 days etc. To facilitate early disposal of consumer complaints, court annexed mediation has also been provided in the Act.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Lok Sabha today.

*****  

DJ/MS



    Source PIB