Consumer fora on fast track in K'taka

The Consumer Grievances Redressal bodies in Karnataka, established under the Consumer Protection Act 1986, are on the fast track in disposing-off complaints received from consumers.

The Karnataka State Consumer Grievances Redressal Commission, the apex body at the state-level, has only 30 complaints and 460 appeals pending.

Of the 3,434 complaints it received since its constitution, the commission has cleared 3,403 complaints. Similarly, it has disposed off 20,110 appeals, out of 20,570.

The district-level are also on the fast track. For example, the Mysore District Consumer Grievances Redressal Forum has only 63 consumer complaints before it and has passed orders in respect of the rest of the 5,306 complaints. The forum has received 5,369 complaints so far.

State Commission Chairman Justice Chandrasekharaiah said in Mysore that these figures revealed how the consumer bodies in Karnataka were settling consumers' grievances without taking much time.

He advised the advocates not to take consumer complaints, which the consumer courts can settle at a lesser burden to the consumers, to the regular courts.

"Such practices need to be given up," he said, while laying the foundation stone for the Mysore District Forum's building in Kuvempunagar.

While the Mysore Urban Development Authority has given a site for free for the forum's building, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 29 lakh. The building will be ready in about a year so that the forum can function from its own permanent place instead of a rented building as done today, the chairman said.