Centre8217;s grant does a vanishing act

MUMBAI, April 18: The state government is mum about a sum of Rs 61 crore sanctioned by the Central government almost four years ago to st...

MUMBAI, April 18: The state government is mum about a sum of Rs 61 crore sanctioned by the Central government almost four years ago to strengthen the infrastructure of State and District Consumer Fora in the country. The step was taken after repeated requests from state governments to help them dispose off pending cases.

A circular issued on July 27, 1995 by the Union Ministry of Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution states the assistance will be utilised strictly for the purpose of disposal of cases and identifies the factors responsible for this problem as frequent adjournment of cases, non-observance of punctuality by officials, lack of monitoring, resistance to change work culture in courts and absence of standard norms of disposal.

It further states that infrastructure includes accommodation for consumer fora building, office equipment like computers, photocopiers, typewriters and fax, library books and office furniture. It categorically states the aid cannot be used forair-conditioners, cars, expenditure on salaries and foreign trips.

8220;We have set up a consumer court in Buldhana,8221; is all that government officials said when asked about the grant sanctioned four years ago.

In the meantime, Mumbai8217;s overworked consumer courts are struggling with wet clothes, industrial fumes, ribbonless typewriters and non-functioning xerox machines. These and the lack of stationery forces judgements to be typed out after almost a month.

The consumer court at Dadar faces an embarrassing problem 8212; wet clothes hanging at the doorway. Housed in a residential building, it has managed to put in a bench in the tiny space between two flats for visitors. People present during the proceedings spill out in the corridor lined with clotheslines. Till eight months ago, the court didn8217;t even have these facilities and members were forced to hear cases without even a dias.

The Dadar court, which has the largest jurisdiction in the city, has almost 2,200 pending cases. A senior member said: 8220;Thereis no functioning typewriter here for the last two months. We are forced to make envelopes and use personal stationery. There is always shortage of typewriter ribbons, gum, staplers and xerox papers. Moreover, we didn8217;t have a registrar for almost four months, which hampers work and puts litigants through hardship.

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For a month we didn8217;t have a stenotypist. Repeated pleas to Mantralaya have fallen on deaf ears.8221;

The Worli forum has a serious problem with its atmosphere. Situated in an industrial area, the staff has to breathe in fumes from nearby factories. 8220;Sometimes it becomes almost impossible to do our work. We have requested the government to at least shift us to a higher floor if it8217;s not possible to change premises,8221; complained a staff member. The Additional District Forum at CST has almost 1,900 pending cases. Here too, there8217;s a daily struggle to complete work amid staff crunch, late arrivals and lack of facilities.

Most consumer fora members complained that neglect of consumer courts stemsfrom the fact that they generate no revenue for the government. Consumer forums do not charge court fees. Without government assistance, it becomes difficult for them to function smoothly. Which brings us back to the earlier question: What happened to the Central grant given to alleviate these very problems?