Q.Write a short note on: District Forums.

The State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission is the middle level of the three-tier redressal system under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It is set up in each State, hears complaints where the consideration is above one crore and up to ten crore rupees, and hears appeals against District Commission orders.

State Commission

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides a three-tier quasi-judicial machinery to redress consumer grievances — the District Commission, the State Commission and the National Commission. The State Commission (State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission) is the middle tier, established by the State Government in each State.

• Jurisdiction (pecuniary): It entertains complaints where the value of the goods or services paid as consideration is more than one crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees.
• Appellate power: It hears appeals against the orders of the District Commissions within the State.
• Composition: It consists of a President (who is or has been a Judge of a High Court) and other members. …

The State Commission is the second (middle) tier of the three-tier consumer disputes redressal system. Constituted by the State Government, it is headed by a (sitting or retired) High Court Judge, hears complaints above the District Forum's monetary limit, and acts as an appellate authority over the District Forums in the state; appeals against it lie to the National Commission.

Meaning

The State Commission (State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission) is the state-level body in the three-tier consumer-protection machinery (District Forum, State Commission, National Commission). It is established by each State Government.

Composition and powers

• Head: a person who is or has been a Judge of a High Court, along with other members (including a woman member).
• Original jurisdiction: it entertains complaints where the value of the goods or services and the compensation claimed is above the District Forum limit and up to the higher prescribed limit (under the 1986 Act, above Rs. 20 lakh and up to Rs. 1 crore).
• Appellate jurisdiction: it hears appeals against the orders passed by the District Forums within the state.
• Reliefs: like the other agencies it can order removal of defects, replacement of goods, refund of price, payment of compensation, and the stopping of unfair trade practices.
• Further appeal: a party aggrieved by a State Commission order may appeal to the National Commission. …

The District Forum (now District Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019) is the district-level, lowest tier of the three-tier consumer redressal system; it settles consumer complaints up to a prescribed money value cheaply and quickly.

District Forum

The Consumer Protection Act provides a three-tier quasi-judicial redressal machinery to settle consumer disputes — the District Forum at the district level, the State Commission at the state level, and the National Commission at the national level. The District Forum is the lowest of these three levels. (Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which is the current law followed in the AP Inter 2nd-year Commerce syllabus, it is renamed the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.)

Key points:

• It is established in each district by the State Government.
• It hears complaints where the value of goods or services does not exceed a prescribed limit (originally up to Rs. 20 lakh under the 1986 Act; raised to up to Rs. 1 crore under the 2019 Act).
• A consumer can file a complaint here easily, at low cost, without a lawyer. …

The District Forum (now the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the 2019 Act) is the district-level, lowest tier of the three-tier consumer redressal machinery, where a consumer files a complaint up to a prescribed money limit; appeals lie to the State Commission.

District Forums

The District Forum is a consumer court set up in each district to provide quick and inexpensive redressal to aggrieved consumers. It is the first and lowest level of the three-tier consumer dispute redressal machinery (District → State → National).

Terminology note: The 2019 question refers to the term used under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Under the current Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (which the syllabus now follows), this body has been renamed the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, but its function is the same.

Key points:

1. Composition – It consists of a President (who is or has been qualified to be a District Judge) and other members, as prescribed.
2. Jurisdiction – A consumer may file a complaint before the District Forum/Commission where the value of the goods or services and the compensation claimed is within the prescribed lower monetary limit (the limit has been revised from time to time under the respective Acts).
3. Procedure – On receiving a complaint, it refers samples for testing if required, hears both parties, and passes an order.
4. Powers / remedies – It can order the removal of defects, replacement of goods, refund of price, payment of compensation for loss or injury, and withdrawal of hazardous goods. …