HC order to better infrastructure for consumer courts

PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday directed the principal secretary (food, civil supplies and consumer protection) to hold a meeting with the chairman of Bihar State Commission for Redressal of Consumer Grievances to discuss measures needed to overcome the odds that have adversely affected the functioning of the state commission and district consumer forums.
A division bench comprising Justice Navin Sinha and Justice Vikash Jain issued the directive while hearing lawyer Prashant Sinha's PIL, seeking better infrastructure for the consumer courts in the state.
Petitioner's counsel Bindhyachal Singh submitted creation of adequate infrastructure for the consumer courts and providing suitable staffing pattern were necessary for early disposal of complaint cases of the consumers. He submitted pendency of complaint cases of aggrieved consumers had multiplied over the years.
The petitioner submitted the Consumer Protection Act provided disposal of complaint case of consumers with suitable orders within 90 days of filing of the complaint cases. But such complaint cases have been piling up for years.