Consumer redressal cases: Consumer Affairs dept moves SC

The state Consumer Affairs department has moved to the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to clarify the stand of High Court in relation with consumer disputes redressal cases, said Sadhan Pande, the state Consumer Affairs minister.

Pande said this while speaking at the sidelines of a programme organised by his department on the National Consumer Day on Friday.

He said there were certain cases when some real estate developers had got a stay on the order passed by the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in the state when they had moved to the Calcutta High Court.

The minister said that intervention of the Apex court has been sought as usually one has to move before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against an order by the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in the state.

Again, one can move to the Supreme Court against an order passed by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

“We have also approached the Centre to move to the Supreme Court in this connection as the judgment of the Apex court will be applicable across the country,” he said.

In connection with developing infrastructure in Kalimpong, Asansol and Jhargram which would be “officially” introduced as three new districts on Bengali New Year that is on April 15, 2017, the minister said that the work of creating necessary infrastructure for functioning of the Consumer Affairs department will be completed by the end of January 30.

New administrative buildings will be developed in all the three new districts.

Meanwhile, Pande distributed cheques to schools where consumer clubs will come up. Each school will be getting RS 20,000 in two instalments to run the club.

There are 840 schools where such clubs will come up including 150 in Kolkata in the state.

The main task of the club, that started functioning from Friday onwards, would be to create awareness among people by conducting debates, quiz and other programmes.

The clubs will also be working in co-ordination with local panchayat and civic bodies.

The schools in Kolkata where such clubs would come up include Hare School, Scottish Church Collegiate School, Bankim Ghosh Memorial Higher Secondary School and Bethune Collegiate School. There are 30 schools in Salt Lake where consumer clubs will come up.