Vacancies in consumer commissions: SC warns states of contempt, Rs 2 lakh costs

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, November 10

Fed up with non-compliance of its order to fill vacancies in national and state consumer commissions, the Supreme Court on Wednesday warned certain states of contempt action and a cost of Rs two lakh for not filing status/compliance reports in this regard.

As a large number of posts in consumer courts remained vacant across India, a Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had on August 11 directed the Centre, states and union territories to take immediate steps to fill up vacancies in national, state and district consumer courts in eight weeks.

While hearing a suo motu PIL on vacancies in commissions, it had on October 22 said that instead of consumer commissions manned by retired judicial officers on an ad-hoc basis there should be permanent consumer courts. It was unfortunate that the court was being called upon to examine and fill up vacancies in tribunals and if the government wasn’t inclined to continue with tribunals, it should abolish them, the top court had noted.

On Wednesday, it said, “We remind the defaulting states that we will take stern action if reports are not submitted and Rs 2 lakh costs will be imposed on them. This will be recoverable from officers.”

As amicus curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan said some states had not filed status reports, the Bench said, “What is the status of reports? Time deadlines are not being adhered to and this throws hearing out of gear. We are not disciplining ourselves.”

“Unless states are very keen to get notices of contempt, they should comply with the deadline,” it said, posting the matter for hearing after three weeks.