People disappointed due to lack of consumer courts in J-K

As a result of the Central laws being made directly applicable to the newly formed UT, consumer courts were closed, leaving thousands of cases pending in the absence of these courts.

The Jammu and Kashmir Law Department appears to be unconcerned about people's suffering, since it has failed to reopen consumer courts in the Union Territory following the repeal of Article 370 in 2019.

The J-K Law Department has been unable to reopen the Consumer District Forum and Consumer Commission in Jammu and Kashmir, which were closed following the abrogation of Article 370, which forced the closure of many institutions, including the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC).

Consumer courts were closed as a result of Article 370 abrogation

Consumer courts were closed as a result of the Central laws being made immediately applicable to the newly constituted UT, resulting in thousands of cases lingering for resolution in the absence of these courts.

“With the new Act taking effect, the present consumer courts would be rendered ineffective,” a Law Department officer said on the condition of anonymity.

All of these cases involving various consumer concerns are currently stored in the lockers of consumer courts, and the Law Department has reassigned the employees of these courts to other courts.

The Law Department has often said that these courts would be re-opened eventually. However, two years have passed and neither the courts nor these cases have been moved to other courts for timely justice to consumers.

Consumers left with no option for filing their complaints

Consumers around the valley are currently complaining that they are unable to make new complaints, while those who have previously filed are waiting for their cases to be resolved.

According to sources familiar with the situation, there are around 2.50 lakh consumer complaints pending in consumer courts across J-K.

Meanwhile, a senior advocate from the J-K High Court said that the Law Department appears to be in deep slumber, and that customers, whose cases are pending there, are being treated unfairly.

Several customers shared these sentiments and requested the authorities to quickly establish consumer courts in J-K and transfer ongoing cases to other courts for rapid resolution, arguing that justice delayed is justice denied.

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