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The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions, which have been set up across all districts in the State, now not only accept cases filed online but also have facilities for petitioners to make their appearances through video-conferencing facilities.
President of Mysuru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission K.A. Naveena Kumari shared this information while delivering a talk on providing solutions to consumer woes at Maharaja’s College in Mysuru on Monday, May 6.
The Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions had been set up in each district of the State to redress the grievances of the consumer. For the benefit of the consumers, the cases can be filed online, and appearances before the Commission can be made through video-conference facilities, she said.
Even though consumer woes can be fought in the regular courts, the Consumer commissions had been set up for the speedy disposal of the cases at a less cost.
Unlike regular courts, where lawyers are engaged to argue for the petitioners, Naveena Kumari said the consumers can themselves file most of the cases in consumer commissions by providing basic details without seeking the assistance of lawyers. However, in some complex cases of medical negligence or deficiency in service by insurance agencies may require the petitioner to engage a counsel.
Though the rules stipulate that cases should be disposed off by the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions within three months, some cases are delayed, mostly due to the petitioners.
While appeals against the cases disposed off in District level Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions can be filed in the State level Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, appeals against the State Commission’s ruling can be filed in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Appeals against the orders by the National Commission can be made only in the Supreme Court, she said.
Even though the pecuniary jurisdiction for the district consumer disputes redressal commission was less than ₹50 lakh and the State Commission’s was less than ₹2 crore, Naveena Kumari said the jurisdiction of the commission in the cases of insurance was not on the insured sum, but on the premium. “Even if the insured amount is ₹1 crore, the district commissions can take it up when the premium is ₹20,000 or ₹30,000”, she said.
About the two-year limit set for filing cases from the date of “cause of action”, Ms. Kumari cited an example of how a car purchaser can file a case two years from the time he noticed the defect in the vehicle and not necessarily two years from the date of purchase of the vehicle. “In most cases, you don’t find the defect in a product immediately after purchasing,” she said.
