The people of Jammu and Kashmir are still looking for Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum
More than a year has passed after the enactment and enforcement of J&K Reorganization Act 2019, whereby various changes were made in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the Consumer’s Grievance Redressal Forums viz. District Consumer Forum and State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, customarily called as Consumer Courts were made non-functional due to reorganization and conversion of State into Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. But till date no concrete steps are taken by the Govt. at Union Territory or Central level to establish Consumer Courts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, as a result the public of J&K is suffering immeasurably.
After the enforcement of J&K Reorganization Act 2019, the earlier state’s Consumer Protection Act 1987 ceased to be in operation and the Central Consumer Protection Act 2019 has been made applicable to the Union Territory; thus, new Consumer Courts need to be established, in as much as, orders to the extent of appointing the President and Members for the same are required to be notified, so that the Consumer Courts i.e., Forum and Commission can be made functional at District and UT level, but till date the govt. is sitting over the issue. As such, keeping in view the contemporary condition of the Consumers in Jammu and Kashmir, it won’t be wrong to say that, there is a law on the subject, but no place to seek remedy.
