A four-day dharna by the District Consumer Court lawyers here in front of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) here was withdrawn on Friday after a discussion with the district administration.

Led by Dr Siba Prasad Mishra and Kailash Chandra Mishra, they alleged that their notice   given  to the Principal Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department and Secretary, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission(DCDRC) for filling up of  all the vacancies including the post of President and Members of District Consumer Court as  advertised by the State Government for the respective commissions of the  State remained unheeded.

The agitating lawyers alleged further that, out of 31 Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions functioning in 30 districts in the State, the post of President is lying vacant in the 26 DCDRC courts; so also 42 Member posts in these courts are lying vacant.

Mention may be made that, the State Government had advertised  on 23.7.21 and 21.8.21 to fill up the vacancies under different Commissions of the State. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court reportedly passed an order directing the State Government to fill up the vacancies within eight weeks which too remained unheeded, the agitating lawyers alleged.

They further alleged that, due to the inactions of the Consumer Welfare Department of the State, the whole gamut of the consumer disputes redressal system in the State not only has been jeopardised but also the consumers of the State are deprived of due justice. As a result, thousands of consumer disputes “for unfair trade practice of the traders” are currently pending under different Commissions thereby causing harassment to the consumers. 

Similarly, the very non-filling of vacant post of President and Members  lying vacant in the District Consumer Court at Brahmapur for  years indirectly encourages unfair trade practice which is unjust and uncalled for, the agitators pointed out.