State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

History and objective

Composition

1. President and
2. Not less than two members and not more than that prescribed in State Act.

Levels and jurisdiction

Filing complaints

Penalties and imprisonment

• Manufacturers and Service providers are made punishable as a criminal offence for giving misleading information or for wrong advertisement of product.
• Punishment may include fine of Rs 10 lakhs or imprisonment for 2 years or both.

Investigative agency

• Violation of consumer rights or unfair trade practices is investigated by the Investigation wing headed by Director-General level position in Central Consumer Protection Authority

Important terms

• As per the act "Goods" means anything purchased by consumers either in retail or wholesale from retailers or wholesalers. They can either be produced or manufactured.
• As per the act "services" means those which are in the form of "transport, telephone, electricity, housing, banking, insurance, medical treatment etc".
• As per the act consumer means " any person who buys any goods or hires or avails any services for a consideration which has already been paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised or under any system of deferred payment".
• Person includes anyone buying goods, either through online system or direct or offline, by way of teleshopping, or through mode of electronic includes direct selling or in a multi-level marketing.
• Consumer does not include person buying or availing goods or services for resale or for any other commercial purpose.
• For the purpose of commission the terms are referred in Consumer Protection Act'2019.

Challenges

• The district, state and national level commissions face challenges of understaffing or non fulfillment of vacancies in time.
• The report prepared by senior advocate on the directions of Supreme Court of India found out many shortcomings in the offices of district and state consumer redressal bodies in many states of India. These include absence of storage rooms for case files, lack of member chambers for convenience of members hearing complaints, non availability of court rooms and washrooms in selective cases.

List of States Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum