In a statement, A.S. Shankarapandian, General Secretary of Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI), stated as follows:
There are 32 District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions operating in Tamil Nadu, and the Tamil Nadu Government decided last February to reduce them to 14. The government proposed this decision based on permission granted by the Supreme Court to dissolve district consumer courts with fewer than 1,000 pending cases or merge them with other courts.
Accordingly, the Tiruppur and Nilgiris district consumer courts are being merged with the court in Erode. Vellore district cases are being shifted to Krishnagiri, Salem cases to Namakkal, Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram cases to Srivilliputhur, Pudukkottai cases to Thanjavur, Karur cases to Tiruchi, and Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi district cases to Tirunelveli.
Similarly, Villupuram and Cuddalore district cases are to be shifted to Tiruvannamalai, Dindigul and Theni cases to Madurai, and Perambalur, Ariyalur and Nagapattinam district cases to Tiruvarur. Although the government states that this action is intended to reduce the financial burden, consumers would be severely affected. As people in the affected districts would have to travel to neighbouring districts, this would cause major expenses and hardship, particularly for economically weaker people.
The objective of the Consumer Protection Act is easily accessible justice. However, shifting consumer courts to distant locations could discourage many people from filing cases. Their rights and access to justice could be denied, and affected persons could be pushed into a situation where they are unable to obtain appropriate relief. Merging commissions could also make it difficult to deliver judgments within the prescribed time, lead to case backlogs and cause consumers further hardship.
Reducing consumer courts would work against consumer justice and affect access to consumer justice. To protect consumer welfare and avoid additional expense, loss of time, unnecessary travel and mental distress, the Tamil Nadu Government should withdraw its decision to reduce the number of District Consumer Courts.
Head Office,
Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI).