Circuit benches of consumer commission to be set up in Berhampur and Sambalpur

Odisha government has proposed to have circuit benches of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Berhampur and Sambalpur. It has been informed through a letter from the director of Department of Consumer Affairs to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, in Berhampur. Copy of this letter has also reached the Ganjam District Consumer Redressal Forum (DCDRF). The director has requested the RDC as well as the secretary of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission to initiate necessary measures for functioning of these two proposed circuit benches of the State Commission in Berhampur.

It may be noted that establishment of circuit bench of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Berhampur was a long standing demand of some senior lawyers of Berhampur and an organisation involved in consumer activism named VEDIC. Lawyers like Prafulal Jagananth Padhi, Satish Panigrahy, Laxmikant Dash, Kailash Mishra, who had pursued this demand at different forums urged the State government to take immediate measures so that the proposed circuit benches could start functioning as early as possible. The State has proposed to set up circuit benches considering the large number of cases pending before the State commission as well as to deliver justice to consumers at their door steps. The circuit bench in Berhampur would be meant for 10 districts under southern revenue division and the one proposed in Sambalpur would be for north revenue division.

Congress leader and former Union Minister Chandrasekhar Sahu said holding of circuit bench of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Berhampur and Sambalpur would surely be a great help for the common mass. He, however, said the State government should not try to sideline the demand for establishment of permanent benches of Odisha High Court in Berhampur and Sambalpur. Source: The Hindu