The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) will now have jurisdiction to entertain consumer complaints where the value of the goods or services exceeds Rs 2 crore as against the earlier limit of over Rs 10 crore.

According to the new rules, district commissions will have jurisdiction to entertain complaints up to Rs 50 lakh worth value of goods or services as against the earlier limit of up to Rs 1 crore, according to an official statement. The Centre has notified new rules to revise pecuniary jurisdiction for entertaining consumer complaints at district, State and national level commissions, a move aimed at fast disposal of cases. State commissions will now have jurisdictions for more than Rs 50 lakh and up to Rs 2 crore.

Earlier, the limit for them was more than Rs 1 crore and up to Rs 10 crore. “National commission shall have jurisdiction to entertain complaints where the value of the goods

or services paid as consideration exceeds Rs 2 crore,” the statement said.

The Centre has notified rules for the Consumer Protection (Jurisdiction of the District Commission, the State Commission and the National Commission) Rules, 2021. “The revised pecuniary jurisdiction for entertaining consumer complaints shall be up to 50 lakh for district commissions, more than Rs 50 lakh to

Rs 2 crore for state commissions, more than Rs 2 crore for the national commission,” the statement said.

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. The Act stipulates the pecuniary jurisdiction of each tier of consumer commission.

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. 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.

So far, more than 10,000 cases have been filed using the E-Daakhil Portal and more than 43,000 users have registered on the portal.