consumer protection and consumer forum

this set of slides will help to gain a lot of knowledge about consumer forum and here is a survey report on a consumer form of a district Dharwad, Karnataka, India.

1. CONSUMER FORUM
AND
CONSUMER COURT

2. What is a Consumer Forum?
•It is a Non-Government organization which
spreads awareness among common
people,
help consumer to file case in court,
represent individual in court and help to
get justice to one who is exploited.

3. What is Consumer court?
•It is a Government organization which has
3 level :- district , state and national level
court. And it does not guides consumers
but only provides decisions.

4. The importance or functions of
consumer forums
(i) They guide consumers on how to file cases in the
consumer court.
(ii) On many occasions, they also represent individual
consumers in the consumer courts.
(iii) These voluntary organisations also receive financial
support from the government for creating awareness
among the people.
(iv) It works for the protection of the consumer rights.
(v) It imparts knowledge about consumer rights by
writing articles and getting it published in newspaper

5. 1.  To promote and protect the rights of
consumers
2. To be established Consumer Protection
Council at the  Central and State level
3. To provide speedy and simple redressal to
consumer  disputes by establishing consumer
courts  This Act may be called the Consumer
Protection Act,   1986. It extends to the whole of
India except the State  of Jammu and Kashmir
Objectives:
 

8. History
•The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is one of the benevolent
social legislation intended to protect the large body of
consumers from exploitation. 
•  To provide cheap, speedy and simple redressal to consumer
disputes, quasi-judicial machinery is set up at each
• District, State and National levels called District Forums,
State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and National
Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission respectively. 
•  At present, there are 610 District Forums, 35 State
Commissions with apex body as a National Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) having its office
at Janpath Bhawan, A Wing, 5th Floor,  Janpath, New Delhi.

9. Establishment of Consumer Establishment of Consumer
Disputes Redressal AgenciesDisputes Redressal Agencies
•The Agencies are set up under the Consumer
Protection Act 1986 at District, State and
National level to provide simple and
inexpensive quick redressal against
consumer complaints, where a Consumer can
file complaint in the consumer court against
any defective goods purchased or deficient
service rendered including restrictive/ unfair
trade practice adopted by any trader/person
within two years from the date on which
cause of action arose

10.  
  A Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum to be known
as the "District Forum" established by the State
Government in each district. This consumer court
deal with complaints  where the value of the goods
or services and compensation, if any, claimed is less
than twenty lakhs.
 
     
 
 
The Agencies are as follows:
District Forum

11. State Commission
• A Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to be
known as the "State Commission" established by
the State Government; This consumer court deals
with complaints where  where the value of the
goods or services and compensation, if any,
claimed exceeds rupees twenty lakhs but does
not exceed rupees one crore.

12. National Consumer Commission 
• A National Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission established by
the Central Government ,which deals with
complaints  where the value of the goods or
services and compensation, if any, claimed
exceeds rupees  one crore.

13. Survey done on
Dharwad District
Consumer
Disputes Redressal Forum

14. Establishment of Dharwad District
Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum
 
The Dharwad District Consumer Forum was
established as per the government order
dated 8/11/1991 and started working
from 16/12/1991.
The Main Objective of this Forum is to protect
the large body of consumers from exploitation
and to provide cheap, speedy and
simple redressal to consumer disputes.

15. Dharwad District Consumer Forum’s Staff  

16. Composition of the District Forum
 District Forum shall consist of :
1.   Hon’able President-1
2.   Hon’able Members-2
3.    Asst. Registrar cum Asst. Administrative Officer-1
4.    Sheristedar-1
5.   First Division Assistant-1
6.    Second Division Assistant-1
7.    Stenographers-2
8.     Peon -3

17. Composition of the District
Forum
•Hon’able President: The Hon’able President of the District
Forum will sit in the Court Hall along with Hon’able Members
and dispose the original complaint .The President shall
exercise the financial powers also.
•Hon’able Members: The Hon’able Members of the District
Forum, one of whom shall be a woman,  will sit in the court
Hall along with Hon’able President and dispose the original
complaint.
•Asst. Registrar cum Asst. Administrative Officer: The
Assistant Registrar cum Assistant Administrative Officer is to
discharge the duties of drawing and disbursing officer.
He/She has to carry out the directions issued by
the Hon’able President as well as the District Forum Bench.

18. Composition of the District
Forum
•Sheristedar : Sheristedar is nothing but Manager of the
Office. The Sheristedar shall discharge the work of overall
supervision, accounts, filing, disposal, preparing
statements, paybills and other work entrusted by
the Hon’able President and Assistant Registrar cum
Assistant Administrative Officer.
•First Division Assistant : The First Division Assistant shall
discharge the duties of the Bench Clerk, Pending Clerk
and any other work entrusted by the District Forum.
•Second Division Assistant : The Second Division Assistant
shall discharge the duties of Inward and Outward
,indexing of  disposed files, record keeper, librarian and
any other work entrusted by the Hon’able President of the
District Forum.

19. Composition of the District
Forum
•Stenographers : The Stenographers shall discharge the
duties of taking the dictation of judgments at court hall and
chambers of the Hon’able President
and Hon’ableMembers. Transcription work through
computer, recording deposition at court hall through
computer and any other work entrusted by the District
Forum.
•Peon: One Peon is attached to the Hon’able President of
the District Forum and Court Hall. One Peon is attached to
the Office of the District Forum. One Peon is to do the work
of night watchman.

20. Jurisdiction of the District Forum
• The District Forum shall have jurisdiction to entertain
complaints where the value of the goods or services and the
compensation, if any, claimed ''does not exceed
rupees twenty lakhs. 
•A complaint shall be filed in a District Forum, where the
opposite party/parties, actually and voluntarily resides or
carries business or has a branch office or personally works
for gain are within the local limits.
•The cause of action, partly or wholly is within the
jurisdiction.

21. Procedure for filing a compliant
•Engagement of Lawyer is not  compulsory, the complainant
can himself/herself or through a representative represent
his/her case.
•A Complaint is to be filed within two years from the date
on which cause of action arose.
•A compliant filed before the District Forum shall be
accompanied by appropriate fee as specified in the below
table, paid in the form of demand draft drawn
on  Nationalized Bank ,drawn in favour of  
The President , District Consumer Forum, Dharwad

22. Fee to be paid by the consumer

23. Procedure for filing a compliant
•A Compliant should be filed in four sets along
with the copies of documents if any to be
produced and copies depending on the number of
opposite parties are required to be filed..
•A Compliant shall clearly contain particulars of
dispute and the relief claimed and shall also be
accompanied by copies of such documents as are
necessary to provide the claim made in the
compliant.

24.   A compliant filed in the District Forum is numbered by the
Registrar.
   The hearing date will be given after 7 days from the date of
filing.
  On the date of hearing, the parties should appear before the
District Forum.
 Daily cause list will be prepared and displayed in court hall,
which consist of next date of hearing and the particular stage for
which the case has been posted.
 If the Complainant/Authorized agent fails to appear, the District
Forum may in its discretion either dismiss the compliant for
default or decide it on merit.
      
Case Flow Procedure once it is filed in District
Consumer Forum

25.   If the Opposite party/Authorized agent fails to
appear, the District Forum may decide the
compliant Ex-parte.
 The Compliant shall be decided as far as
possible within ninety days from the date of
notice received by the opposite party.
 The Order of the District Forum shall be signed
and dated by the President and Members of the
District Forum, the certified copy shall be
communicated to the parties free of charge for
the 1
st
 time only .
Case Flow Procedure once it is filed in
District Consumer Forum

26.  If in case a party requires an extra copy, it shall
be issued to him/her duly certified by the Registry
on payment of Rs.20/- irrespective of number of
pages.
 If consumer is not satisfied with the verdict from
the District Consumer Court, consumer can appeal
in the State Consumer
Disputes Redressal Commission within a period of
30 days from the date of order in District Forum.
Case Flow Procedure once it is filed
in District Consumer Forum

27. Particulars of office
 
•Working Hours
10.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday
•Holidays
All State Government Holidays and Second Saturday of
every month.

28. Address
   District Consumer Forum
Shinge Building,
Opp.  Vidyagiri Post Office, Vidyagiri .
Dharwad-580004
   Ph No : 0836 2446002 

29. Presented by
•Gauri Gatade