ABOUT 33,000 cases were pending with the consumer forums in the State and the pendency was growing every year due to registration of fresh cases.
Revealing this to newsmen, Justice M.B. Shah, Chairman, National Consumers Dispute Redressal Commission, said practically a presiding officer couldn’t dispose of more than 70 cases a month and about 1,000 cases in a year. But every year more than 1,000 new cases were added to the backlog, he said. The disposal rate of the cases remained very poor due to the limited number of forums here.
However, he said that against the total population of consumers in the State the number of cases were very insignificant. Very few consumers came to court with complaints against the manufacturers. This proved their ignorance about the law and their right.
To a question, he said although Coca Cola and Pepsi cases were under the consideration of the Supreme Court but if a consumer sought the assistance of consumer forum it would entertain the application. So far no one had brought the case, he said.
He said that the government should vest more powers in the presiding officers of the consumer forums to appoint or to initiate action against the indolent employees. Besides the knowledge of law should be compulsory for the staff at the forum, he said.