Decline in consumers approaching consumer commissions in Uttarakhand
Prompt justice eludes consumers as cases remain pending for years despite rules mandating disposal within 3–5 months
Decline in consumers approaching consumer commissions in Uttarakhand
Prompt justice eludes consumers as cases remain pending for years despite rules mandating disposal within 3–5 months
Kashipur: Despite provisions in the new Consumer Protection Act aimed at ensuring speedy justice, consumers in Uttarakhand continue to face prolonged delays in obtaining redressal. The growing pendency of cases before the State and District Consumer Commissions appears to have contributed to a decline in the number of consumers approaching these forums.
The rules mandate disposal of consumer cases within three months, or five months in cases requiring laboratory testing. However, several cases in Uttarakhand’s consumer commissions have remained pending for more than a decade.
Right to Information (RTI) activist and Kashipur resident Nadeemuddin sought information from the Uttarakhand State Consumer Commission regarding the disposal and pendency of cases before the State and District Commissions. In response, Vandana Sharma, Public Information Officer/Administrative Officer of the State Commission, provided certified photocopies of the relevant information through letter No. 724.
According to the information supplied to Nadeemuddin, 701 first appeals were pending before the State Commission as of early April 2016, while 3,127 consumer complaint cases were pending across the state’s 13 consumer commissions.
The pendency data at the State Commission reveals the extent of the delay. Of the pending first appeals, 27 were more than 10 years old, while 125 were 10 years old, 148 were seven years old, 201 were five years old, 36 were three years old, 32 were two years old, 68 were between six months and one year old, and 65 were less than six months old.
Among the original complaint cases pending before the State Commission, nine had remained unresolved for more than 10 years and 22 for 10 years. Five cases were seven years old, three were three years old, one was two years old, three were between six months and one year old, and only three were less than six months old.
Across the state’s 13 districts, the pending consumer cases included 88 cases that were more than 10 years old, 217 that were seven years old, 647 that were five years old, 718 that were three years old, 675 that were two years old, 409 that were between six months and one year old, and 362 that were less than six months old.
The data also indicates a decline in the number of consumers approaching the commissions despite the increase in the state’s population and consumer base. The trend is reflected in the year-wise filing figures.
In 2016, 292 cases were filed before the State Commission and 1,462 before the District Forums/Commissions. The figures fell to 198 and 1,086, respectively, in 2017. In 2018, 292 cases were filed before the State Commission and 1,185 before the District Forums/Commissions, while the corresponding figures for 2019 were 468 and 1,365.
In 2020, the number of cases filed before the State Commission fell to 170, while 1,529 cases were filed before the District Forums/Commissions. The corresponding figures were 205 and 1,434 in 2021 and 322 and 1,859 in 2022.
A sharp decline was recorded thereafter. In 2023, only 116 cases were filed before the State Commission and 970 before the District Commissions. The numbers fell further in 2024, when the State Commission received just 29 cases and the District Commissions 574.
In 2025, the number of filings increased to 134 before the State Commission and 776 before the District Commissions. However, during the first four months of 2026, up to April, only 58 cases were filed before the State Commission and 311 before the District Commissions.
The sector-wise data of cases filed before the State Commission from its inception up to March 31, 2026, shows that insurance-related disputes accounted for the largest number of cases, with 130 complaints and 2,261 appeals.
Banking-related disputes followed, with 27 complaints and 566 appeals, while electricity-related matters ranked third, accounting for eight complaints and 391 first appeals.
Other cases included one complaint and 151 appeals related to postal services; two complaints and 80 appeals concerning government housing; 67 complaints and 186 appeals involving private societies/builders; 41 complaints and 207 appeals related to medical negligence; one complaint and 201 appeals concerning defective household goods; and 13 complaints and 189 appeals related to education.
The State Commission also received first appeals relating to railways (31), airlines (17), telecom services (141) and road transport (23). Cases falling under other sectors accounted for 31 complaints and 1,337 appeals.
The information compiled by the Commission, with the filing data updated up to March 31, 2026, highlights the gap between the statutory objective of providing speedy consumer justice and the actual time taken to dispose of cases.
