Are you satisfied with the cooperation of various stakeholders such as State Governments, NCDRC, State Consumer Forums, District Forums, BIS and Voluntary Consumer Organizations?

We are very thankful to all activists with whom we have held meetings for discussing consumer rights and consumer protection. They are all knowledgeable. We have had three meetings with the Consumer Affairs Ministers of state Governments in the past one year to discuss problems being faced by the consumers. We are continuously holding meetings with the secretaries which are creating a lot of awareness. We have also written letters to the Chief Ministers, after all in states, consumer courts exist at two levels—district and state. We seek their cooperation in this movement. Usually at respective district, state and central levels the consumer forum is headed by a retired judge of a district court, a High Court, and Supreme Court. Members are appointed to each forum. As of now, unfortunately, consumer courts in our country are not functioning effectively. The reason is very basic—a lack of infrastructure and remaining headless. Five state forums including those in Kerala, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Telangana do not have presidents, and 17 of them do not have members. At the district level, 102 forums do not have presidents, and 266 of them are without members. Members at many places at district and state levels do not have a place to even sit. In some states they are paid a nominal salary, in some they do not even receive that. Our priority is to improve infrastructure and fill up vacancies at the district level forums, because that is where 90 per cent of the cases are filed. We have also now mandated that if a case is not admitted within 21 days, it will automatically be considered an FIR so that the consumer does not suffer. Also, there is another major change we have brought about—while earlier a consumer needed a lawyer to file a case in a consumer court, now we have announced that the consumer does not necessarily need a lawyer and can file on his own.

Is there a way that things can be settled out of court?

We have made a few other changes. In case a State Court gives a judgment in favour of the consumer, it cannot be appealed at the National Forum. We have introduced a system of mediation, and it can be opted at any level. We are trying to make all these courts pro-consumer. We have issued guidelines that courts need to give judgments within 90 days of a complaint being filed.