Karnataka High Court Calls For State's Response On Plea Flagging Large Numbers Of Vacancies In Consumer Courts, SCDRC

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the State Government and sought its reply on a public interest litigation filed highlighting the large number of posts vacant in Consumer courts and State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in the state.

A division bench of Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind issued the notice and directed it to file its reply to the petition by August 5, on the petition filed by Advocate V R Ragunathan. The court in its order noted that certain posts are not filled in and have been vacant since the year 2022 as well.

However, the court refused to grant an interim relief by permitting the present Presidents and Members of the Consumers Forums to continue in service till further orders. It said “We will consider the same after they (state government) files its response.”

The petitioner had sought directions to the state government to take appropriate action for filling up the vacancies like to fall during the present year without any further loss of time.

By way of interim direction the plea sought a direction to the respondents to continue in the present members, placing reliance on the Apex court judgment in the case of Ganeshkumar Rajeshwarrao Selukar and Others versus Mahendra Bhaskar Limary and Others.

Case Title: V R Raghunathan AND State of Karnataka

Case No: WP 16634/2024