Madras High Court asks for government stand on vacancies in consumer forum

Chennai: The Madras High Court has given 30 days to government to file its stand on filling up vacancies in the Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and in setting up a Mediation Advisory Centre in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, before which petitions filed by Coimbatore Consumer Voice came up for hearing, said that state government had sanctioned funds for setting up a Mediation Advisory Centre in the premises of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, but not clarified, in its affidavit, when the same would be set up at the District Centre.

The bench said government’s afdidavit also stated that steps for filling the post of president and members of the district fora are pending and require consultation with the president, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

There has been no President since 2015. The additional advocate general requested time to file an affidavit in respect of both aspects. We grant one month’s time, the bench said.

The additional solicitor general stated that he had obtained instructions that Central Government funding is available only for setting up centres at the initial stage, whether it be that of the district or state forum, but not for running the centres thereafter.

The bench posted the matter to October 06, 2016 for further hearing.