URGENTLY FILL VACANCIES IN STATE, DISTRICT CONSUMER FORUMS: MADRAS HIGH COURT TO STATE

The Madras High Court on July 2nd urged that the State is needed to take steps to immediately fill up all vacancies in District and State consumer forums (Citizen Consumer and Civil Action Group v. Union of India and others)

The Court noted that amid the pandemic, proper steps have not been taken to fill vacancies.

However, the Bench has now realized that it is necessary that immediate steps are to be taken to fill all vacancies at District and State consumer forums of Tamil Nadu
Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee yesterday observed that the appropriate Committee headed has already nominated a President for the State Consumer Forum.

However, the government's notification of this issue is awaited. As such, the Court has now directed the State to take immediate steps in the matter, since the nomination of the President was unanimous.

The Bench of Chief Justice Banerjee and Justice SenthilkumarRamamoorthy proceeded to adjourn the case by three weeks after directing the State to file a status report on steps taken to urgently fill up Consumer court vacancies in the State till then. The order was passed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved by the Citizen Consumer and Civil Action Group.

The case has been tagged with a pending PIL, whereas the Court had expressed hope that vacancies would be filled efficiently since the Legislative Assembly elections had concluded.