In response to a complaint about the lack of facilities and open positions at the consumer forums in the capital, the Delhi High Court ordered the Delhi Government to correct any problems with the services being given there.
The Delhi Government has been ordered by a bench consisting of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad to correct minor issues with amenities like the provision of restrooms, water, seats, etc.
The bench was listening to a request for instructions on how to fill the openings for member judges in the District Consumer Forums of Delhi soon in order to reach the required quorum. The petition also asked for instructions on how to set up suitable facilities and offer other necessities for the Delhi District Consumer Forums.
Today, the petitioner’s attorney claimed that there are no facilities for seats, water, bathrooms, etc. He said, “As lawyers, we have done everything we could have done.”
In light of the aforementioned, the bench has ordered the government to fix the minor issue and scheduled a follow-up hearing for June 27, 2023.
The bench further noted, after reading the report provided by the Delhi Government, that of the 30 openings for members, 26 have been filled and the hiring process for the other 4 is still ongoing.
The High Court had earlier asked for a better progress report that included district-specific information on the open positions as well as infrastructural resources at the city’s consumer forums.
The Delhi government was further ordered by the court to submit information, including:
- The number of approved positions held by Consumer Forum members;
- The number of actual occupants as of today;
- The authorised and actual staffing levels for each Consumer Forum’s support personnel;
- The availability of restrooms and drinking water for both men and women at such Consumer Forums;
- The existence of any facilities for having virtual hearings at such Consumer Forum; and
- The availability of telephone connections, if any, for public use in the Consumer Forums.
- Whether the aforementioned phone connections are live and functional or not.
According to the report provided by the Registrar of the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, both space and support personnel were severely lacking at both the State and the District Fora.
Case title: Sangam Singh Kochar v Ministry of Law & Justice & Anr.
Read more legal news here.