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NEW DELHI: Supreme Court has taken objection to territory and authorities user forums accelerated becoming sinecures for retired territory and HC judges and admitted that the apex tribunal had passed sweeping orders successful the past for activating these forums without realising the pendency of cases successful these institutions.A territory user forum is headed by a retired territory judge, and a authorities user disputes redressal committee (SCDRC) is headed by a retired HC judge. Most northeastern states and Union territories person complained that determination is small enactment for the commissions and mounting them up successful afloat spot volition beryllium a drain connected the exchequer.Arunachal Pradesh informed a seat of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi connected Feb 11 that it has a full of 59 user cases pending successful territory and authorities user forums.
It said that it has advertised for station of president of the authorities user forum, but nary retired justice is funny successful taking up the assignment.A akin communicative emerged from different northeastern states and UTs. Sikkim has a full pendency of 64 user cases — 52 successful territory forums and 12 successful authorities forum; Mizoram has 82 cases successful territory forums and 12 successful authorities forum; Manipur has 123 cases successful territory forums and 43 successful authorities forum; Lakshadweep has a full of 10 cases; Andaman and Nicobar islands has 37 cases successful territory forum and 4 successful authorities forum; and Goa has a full pendency of 39 user cases.
The seat agreed that creating abstracted territory and authorities forums successful states wherever pendency of user cases is debased casts an unnecessary load connected the exchequer and the duty becomes a sinecure for retired judicial officers and retired HC judges.Reflecting connected past orders connected the contented by SC, the CJI-led seat said, “We are besides fond of issuing sweeping directions without realising the crushed realities. The presidents of territory user forums are connected a par with territory judges but look astatine the workload of the two. The territory judges are overburdened whereas the user forums successful these states person nary work. Why should the president of a territory forum beryllium equated with a territory judge?”Seeking information from each states connected pendency of cases earlier territory forums, the seat decided to woody with the authorities commissions successful 7 states/UTs wherever pendency is debased and transferred the pending cases to the HCs concerned.It said the HC main justness would delegate user forum enactment to 1 of the judges, who would enactment arsenic president of the forum and perceive the cases on with members of the authorities forum. Those aggrieved by their orders could record an entreaty earlier National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), the seat said. “States and UTs wherever pendency of user cases are little than 1,000 tin taxable an alternate connection for the intent of providing a mechanics to redress grievances of user complaints,” the seat said arsenic immoderate states wanted to name part-time members to territory user forums.
