The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to the State government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and the Karnataka State Consumers Disputes Redressal Commission in a public interest litigation that is seeking the proper implementation of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
The petitioners include students from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore who worked on a study entitled the “State of consumer protection in Karnataka: An Analysis of the Institutional Implementation of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, its Allied Rules and Regulations in the State of Karnataka” released under the Chair on Consumer Law and Practice, Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The petitioners had the opportunity to undertake several surveys and field visits to the Consumer Forums in order to assess the implementation of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 in the State of Karnataka. CLPR is involved with the litigation.
According to the petition, District Consumer Redressal Forums have not been set up in the districts of Ramnagara, Yadgir and Chikkaballapur, causing immense distress to the people in these districts. Furthermore, the petition also highlights the pendency of cases caused primarily by the vacancy of posts in the District Consumer Forums.
The petition has garnered a great deal of public interest and has been featured in articles published by leading newspapers such as The Hindu, Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express and the Times of India.
