Parliament Question: Pendency in National Consumer Forum

Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1719 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 PENDENCY IN NATIONAL CONSUMER FORUM

1719. SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC

DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the pendency position in the district, State and national consumer forum during the last five years;

(b) whether the number of judges etc. in the consumer forum are sufficient or there are some vacancies in any such forum;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) whether work load in each of the forum is normal and if so, the reasons for pendency in these forums? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L. VERMA)

(a) : The number of consumer cases filed and disposed during the last 5 years (State/UT-wise) are at Annexure. Further, as on date, the cases pending in the National, State and District Consumer

Disputes Redressal Commissions are as follows :- S No. Commission(s) Pending cases

1. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) 16,915

2. State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs) 1,27,507

3. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (DCDRCs) 4,48,687 Total 5,93,109

(b) to (d) : Under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, it is the responsibility of the State Governments to fill up the vacancies of President and Members in the State Commissions and District Commissions. Further, as per Rule 6(4) of the Consumer Protection (Qualification for appointment, method of recruitment, procedure of appointment, term of office, resignation and removal of the President and members of the State Commission and District Commission) Rules, 2020, the process of appointments shall be initiated by the State Government atleast 6 months before the vacancy arises. Also, it’s the responsibility of the State Governments to provide for staff in the State Commissions and District Commissions.As per Section 32 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, if, at any time, there is a vacancy in the office of the President or Member of the District Commission, the State Government may, by notification, direct - a) any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the jurisdiction in respect of that district also; or b) the President or a member of any other District Commission specified in that notification to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the President or member of that District Commission also.

At present, there are three vacancies of members in National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Further, against the sanctioned strength of 36 Presidents and 167 Members in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs), the posts of 18 Presidents and 74 Members are vacant. Similarly, in the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (DCDRCs), against the sanctioned strength of 637 Presidents and 1,416 Members, the posts of 234 Presidents and 538 Members are vacant.

Further, the appointment process for Presidents and Members of the State and District Consumer Commissions is presently governed by the proceedings in the matter of Dr. Mahendra Bhaskar Limaye before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The Department of Consumer Affairs filed an affidavit on 02.09.2025, a Miscellaneous Application on 15.10.2025 (re-filed on 15.01.2026) and a Review Petition on 16.02.2026, before the Hon’ble Supreme Court. The matter is presently sub judice before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

****ANNEXURE ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1719 FOR 29.07.2026 REGARDING PENDENCY IN NATIONAL CONSUMER FORUM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sl. Year 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 No. Commission Number of Cases Number of Cases Number of Cases Number of Cases Number of Cases Name Filed Disposed Filed Disposed Filed Disposed Filed Disposed Filed Disposed (also (also (also (also (also includes includes includes includes includes the cases the cases the the cases the cases disposed disposed cases disposed disposed which which disposed which which were filed were filed which were filed were filed in the in the were in the in the previous previous filed in previous previous years) years) the years) years) previous years)

1. National Consumer 2697 1965 3655 4054 5816 6125 4546 6953 3402 4908 Disputes Redressal Commission

(NCDRC) State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (SCDRCs)

1. And aman and 11 2 21 24 23 36 8 2 11 1 Nicobar Islands

2. And hra Pradesh 1648 471 2678 3372 3398 3942 3434 2672 3563 2618

3. Aru nachal Pradesh 14 9 25 19 39 30 40 26 26 26

4. Ass am 335 213 554 608 553 511 552 552 513 408

5. Biha r 2745 808 5277 3047 4279 4874 3928 3293 3268 3153

6. Cha ndigarh 2149 1180 2135 1655 1782 2625 1741 1902 1406 1810

7. Chh attisgarh 3464 2147 2829 2356 3403 4662 3077 4817 2791 4032

8. Delh i 4053 1778 5031 5106 6063 8545 6418 6525 5574 5204

9. Dad ra and Nagar 0 0 Haveli and Daman 12 0 19 2 31 0 19 0 and Diu

10. Goa 271 183 177 178 219 365 285 231 288 213

11. Guj arat 14944 9751 14676 16143 17634 17226 18152 12583 18280 12553

12. Har yana 10364 4567 11959 9002 13251 11795 13214 9674 12385 9676

13. Him achal Pradesh 1038 811 2267 1796 2415 2104 2280 2154 2280 1845

14. Jha rkhand 678 76 1923 2106 1703 2028 1389 1387 1261 880

15. Jam mu & Kashmir 0 0 12 0 31 3 46 160 317 84

16. Kar nataka 7066 7968 9035 11939 10435 12538 11872 10244 10630 10923

17. Ker ala 4974 3719 6121 7198 8473 6700 12003 6778 12018 8130

18. Lad akh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

19. Lak shadweep 0 0 0 0 4 0 2 2 2 0

20. Mad hya Pradesh 17449 9158 16340 21091 11976 18309 10624 14885 10548 13800

21. Mah arashtra 20987 13073 22607 16757 18523 7632 15918 14939 16434 14937

22. Man ipur 30 18 74 60 50 62 91 35 127 91

23. Meg halaya 31 20 67 186 55 60 68 50 56 60

24. Mizo ram 56 113 67 108 64 53 99 67 125 55

25. Nag aland 21 3 15 16 14 15 28 3 23 14

26. Odi sha 3426 2562 4105 5206 5924 7174 5844 4911 5631 3948

27. Pud ucherry 48 2 45 55 95 145 157 169 172 174

28. Pun jab 8478 8821 8151 8173 6966 8652 8536 6815 6206 7280

29. Raja sthan 14775 11341 14812 11491 13662 12341 12397 10741 11975 12473

30. Sikk im 16 19 27 10 56 26 87 29 20 1

31. Tam il Nadu 2485 1231 7086 10026 7348 9079 8224 7494 8356 7359

32. Tela ngana 3533 2566 4378 5390 3972 4571 4405 3974 3605 3300

33. Trip ura 270 182 512 596 225 256 243 162 286 122

34. Utta rakhand 1659 1327 2217 2224 1102 929 709 548 939 1807

35. Utta r Pradesh 14988 13414 20428 25782 19023 25657 17733 19630 16550 15751

36. Wes t Bengal 4687 2219 6353 7080 5692 6743 5009 3915 3828 2944 Total 149412 101739 175680 182868 174284 185779 173181 158321 162896 150581 *****