Gujarat HC directs govt to fill vacant supporting staff posts in consumer panels

The Gujarat high court has directed state govt to ensure that all the vacancies of supporting staff of the consumer dispute redressal commissions in the state be filled in time-bound manner and to provide necessary infrastructure.

The HC, however, refrained from asking govt anything about appointment or extension of service for president and members of the consumer commissions who are retiring soon.

This is because the Supreme Court is in seize of the issue of modes of selection and appointment of presidents and members of the consumer commissions.

The HC rejected its request to order govt to create interim arrangement for filling up vacancies of the members and the judges, and left it to the discretion of state govt.

The HC ordered the principal secretary of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department for filling up vacancies of staff members in all consumer commissions for their smooth functioning in response to a PIL filed by Vadodara-based NGO, Jagrut Nagrik.

State govt submitted before the HC that out of total sanctioned 38 posts of president in district commissions, 20 are vacant; out of 76 posts of members of the commissions, 47 are vacant. In the state panel, there are four posts including that of the president vacant out of eight sanctioned posts.