Supreme Court seeks structured plan to fix vacancies, pendency in district and state consumer commissions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed all States to respond within 3 weeks to a status report submitted by Amicus Curiae highlighting vacancies in district and state consumer commissions.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also directed States to explain compliance with its July 22, 2026 order on pay and allowances for commission members.

Pertinently, the Court also took note of a report by the President of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on vacancies and pendency in consumer commissions.

The Court said that the report submitted by the NCDRC President requires serious consideration.

Key concerns raised in the report included the appointment process for commission members and the transition to a new enactment, with members under the old regime continuing only until September 6.

Attorney General R Venkataramani suggested that selection processes which had begun under the old law may be completed subject to the terms and conditions prescribed under the new enactment.

"No tribunal should become non-functional merely because of the transition," the CJI said.

The matter is expected to be taken up again on September 8.

The Court was hearing a suo motu case initiated by it to examine nationwide vacancies, staff shortages and mounting pendency in consumer commissions.

On rising pendency, NCDRC alone has close to 18,000 pending cases, the report by NCDRC president stated. The AG flagged the restricted use of single-member benches.

This can be reconsidered administratively by permitting more matters to be heard by single-member benches, the CJI said.

Amicus Curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan presented a State-wise report based on data collected via Google Forms. He pointed to the Jharkhand State Commission's president post lying vacant since 2020 and near-total member vacancies in some States.

The Court said in its order:

"The prevailing conditions vary from State to State. We request the Registry to obtain a soft copy of the status report and supply it directly to counsel appearing for all the States within two days. All States are directed to submit their responses to the status report within three weeks."

The Court also directed States to explain compliance with its July 22, 2026 order on pay and allowances for commission members.

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