Pune: The consumer grievance redressal forums may have given justice to many in the past six months, but the implementation of their orders has remained a dream.
The reason: Lockdown restrictions.
No chance for applying for initiating criminal proceedings or confiscating the property of respondents or the opportunity for the respondent to file his say in the forum for his inaction.
When a customer files a complaint against a service provider, submits his evidence, and the respondent files his say on the matter, the forum gives its orders. After the order is issued, its implementation is expected in 30 to 90 days. But to lockdown, there are restrictions on judicial and financial transactions. For those respondents who want to delay compensation to the complainant, it has been an undeniable excuse.
As a result, many orders issued by the forums from January to March this year have not been implemented so far, and consumers are still waiting for justice to be delivered.
Advocate Pavankumar Bhansali said, "If the respondent does not comply with the orders of the forum, then the complainant can apply to confiscation of the respondent's property. The complainant can also initiate criminal proceedings against the respondent. But as per Supreme Court orders, during the lockdown, it was not possible to issue warrants. Even for the process of confiscation of property, the respondent has to file a say on the non-compliance of the orders.
But the respondent can't come to the forum due to restrictions. Hence all applications and hearings are not been heard by the forums."
District Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum President Umesh Javalikar said, "The forum takes further action after the application is received under section 25 or 27. The complainant can file his application in person or online as per their convenience. There is a possibility that the regular work of forum will start from July 1. So actual hearing will soon start on various types of applications."
