Hike pay of consumer forum members, presidents: HC tells Maha

The Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to immediately increase the honorarium of members and presidents of consumer fora in the state.
The direction was given by a bench headed by Justice S J Vajifdar on a PIL which complained about several issues, including lack of infrastructure, filling up of vacant posts of members and Presidents of Consumer Forum and insufficient salaries paid to them.
The PIL, filed by Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, a leading consumer NGO, alleged that out of the 40 consumer fora in the state, 19 were dysfunctional due to vacant posts of members and presidents.

The government informed the court today that they had already filled up 30 posts of president in 40 consumer fora all over the state. However, 10 were still lying vacant and efforts are being made to fill them.
The government said 34 posts of members out of the total 84 in consumer fora across the state were lying vacant and the process of appointing such members was in final stage.
In Bandra Consumer Forum, where space was a major constraint, 400 square feet additional space had been provided, the court was told.
Another bench hearing the same matter had earlier pulled up the government for its lackadaisical attitude regarding vacancies in the consumer redressal fora across the state.

The bench had also suggested that three months prior to the retirement of a member or a president of consumer forum, the state government should issue advertisements to fill up the post and ensure that it does not remain vacant.