Context: Recently, Centre has notified new rules to revise pecuniary jurisdiction of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) for entertaining consumer complaints at district, state and national level commissions, a move aimed at fast disposal of cases.
Background

• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, provides for a three-tier quasi-judicial mechanism for redressal of consumer disputes. They are district commissions, state commissions, and national commissions (NCDRC).

Provisions in the 2019 amendment of Consumer Protection Act of 1986 had provided that

• The new rules have been framed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which promulgates a three-tier quasi-judicial mechanism for redressal of consumer disputes namely district commissions, state commissions and national commission.?

New limits

• Up to Rs 50 lakh for district commissions
• Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crores for state commissions
• Rs 2 crores or more for the national commission

Key Challenge

• After the Act came into force, it was observed that the existing provisions relating to pecuniary jurisdiction of consumer commissions were leading to cases which could earlier be filed in national commission to be filed in state commissions and cases which could earlier be filed in state commissions to be filed in district commissions.
• This caused a significant increase in the workload of district commissions, leading to a rise in pendency and delay in disposal of cases, it added. 
• This defeated the object of securing speedy redressal to consumers as envisaged under the Act.

Key Solution

• With regard to revision of pecuniary jurisdiction, the Centre held wide consultation with states/UTs, consumer organisations, law chairs etc. 
• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, stipulates that every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible. 
• The endeavour should be made to decide the complaint within three months from the date of receipt of notice by the opposite party where the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months if it requires analysis or testing of commodities. 
• The Act also provides for filing consumers complaints electronically. The Centre has set up the E-Daakhil Portal, which provides a hassle-free, speedy and inexpensive facility to consumers to conveniently approach the relevant consumer forum, dispensing the need to travel and be physically present to file their grievance. 
• The portal has many features like e-Notice, case document download link and VC hearing link, filing written response by the opposite party, filing rejoinder by complainant and alerts via SMS/e-mail. 
• Currently, the facility of E-Daakhil is available in 544 consumer commissions, which includes the national commission and consumer commissions in 21 states and 3 UTs.

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC)

• It is a quasi-judicial commission, set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
• Head office: New Delhi.
• Composition: President and 4 members.
• Headed by:  A sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.
• Members: either former High Court Judges or Secretaries to the Government of India.