Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to file its reply affidavit to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking direction to the state to establish district consumer disputes redressal commission in the Palghar district. The high court observed that there seems no justification on why a district consumer forum has not been set up in Palghar, despite the district having been formed ten years back.
“As informed, the district was established in 2014 and 10 years have elapsed. However, there being a clear mandate under Section 28 of the Consumer Protection Act, the (district consumer protection) Commission has not been established. We do not see any reason why despite legislative mandate, the district commission has not been established,” a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor noted.
It added: “We require the State to file an affidavit in two weeks as to why the mandate under the Act has not been followed.” The HC was hearing a PIL by NGO Voice Against Illegal Activities highlighting that the Palghar district was formed on August 1, 2014, and still no consumer forum was set up. The plea said that a room in the collectorate office was earlier earmarked for setting up a consumer commission. However, the State government has not yet issued any communication to notify this space as a consumer redressal forum, the petitioner pointed out. Hence, the petitioner approached the HC. The HC has kept the matter for hearing on June 19.
