Explanation:

The government had established a consumer court in Srinagar in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir to deal with consumer complaints, disputes and grievances.

The step had brought much respite to local consumers.

However, since the abrogation of the state’s limited autonomy it has been shut leaving people of the region in a fix.

With the abrogation of the region’s special status the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 turned inapplicable due to which the court was closed.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 that came into effect in July 2020 was made applicable to Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019.

A senior official in Srinagar recently confirmed that the court is closed since the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 turned invalid and said that the process of establishment of courts under new central law applicable to the region is under process.

Under the new law, every district in Jammu and Kashmir will have a consumer court. Jurisdiction of district courts as per the new law will be to settle cases up to the amount of 1 crore rupees.

The purpose of establishing a separate forum for consumer disputes was to ensure speedy resolution of disputes with minimum inconvenience and expense to consumers.