Consumer Affairs Department To Expedite Filling Of 663 Vacancies As Complaints Surge

As many as 663 positions are lying vacant within the state and district consumer commissions, said the Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, calling for filling up these vacancies on priority.

This comes as the government is dealing with rising complaints against various companies violating consumer rights. While Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. has come under the scanner over a number of issues, including product defects, service standards, the e-commerce and quick commerce companies such as Zomato Ltd., Blinkit, Amazon and Swiggy Instamart are also facing scrutiny over not displaying mandatory disclosures, such as expiry date.

In a critical review meeting on Friday, Khare emphasised the need to expedite the appointments of qualified candidates to fill these vacant positions nationwide, to strengthen the consumer redressal mechanism.

"It is imperative that vacancies are filled up at the earliest possible, to ensure that consumer disputes, cases are handled promptly and efficiently. The effective functioning of Consumer Commissions is vital for protecting consumer rights and upholding service standards,” she said.

Chaired by Khare, the meeting was attended by principal secretaries, directors, and other senior officials from states and union territories.

An analysis conducted during the meeting revealed a troubling trend in the status of vacancies. As of October 2024, a total of 18 posts of president and 56 posts of members were lying vacant in the state commissions, while a staggering 162 presidents and 427 members remain unappointed in district commissions across the country.

The secretary also expressed deep concern about the rising vacancy numbers, which have worsened compared to previous years, and urged all states and UTs to take swift action to address this challenge.

Referencing the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, Khare pointed out provisions that allow for additional charges to be assigned to other district commissions, to ensure their continued functionality despite vacancies. This approach aims to prevent disruptions in the consumer grievance redressal process.

There was a consensus that filling of vacancies is essential to avoid delays in hearings and reduce the case backlog, which impact consumer justice, according to an official statement.