NGO seeks increase in members, space of Maha Consumer Comm

In a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, the NGO 'Help Mumbai Foundation' has said at present there are only four benches of the commission - two in Mumbai and one in Nagpur and Aurangabad each - dealing with consumer complaints across the state.

"The pendency of consumer disputes is huge. The present pendency in the state commission at Mumbai is around 8,000 cases. Every year there are over 6,000 cases filed.

"As per norms formed by the National Commission, each bench will have to dispose of 70 to 100 cases per month. In Mumbai, since there are only two benches, only around 2,400 cases are being disposed of yearly," the letter states.

The NGO sought constitution of six more benches to clear the arrears in Mumbai.

Apart from setting up more benches, the NGO also sought the commission to be shifted to the space available in GT Hospital building in south Mumbai. Every day nearly 5,000 litigants and advocates visit the commission premises, it said in the letter.

"The present place of 3,000 square feet cannot be vertically developed for making more space as it is part of green zone. The State Commission, in a proposal in February last year to the Secretary of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection of the government, sought accommodation in two floors of the New GT Hospital building in south Mumbai," the letter states.

However, since the building is a subject matter of a litigation pending before the High Court, no decision has been taken by the government yet.

The NGO has sought the chief minister to look into the matter and take a decision expeditiously.