News India Live, Digital Desk: In India, the slogan of ‘Jaago Grahak Jaago’ has reached every household, but when in reality a customer is cheated, the path of justice appears very rocky. On one hand the Indian consumer market is growing at the speed of rocket, while on the other hand the Consumer Disputes Redressal System is getting burdened. This growing gap between consumers and justice has now become a matter of concern, because millions of people are tired of fighting for their rights.

Market grew but system lagged behind

In the last decade, e-commerce and digital payments have changed the face of the Indian market. Today, even a person sitting in a corner of the village is ordering goods from his mobile. With the growth of the market, the number of complaints has also increased significantly. If statistics are to be believed, there is a huge pile of pending cases in consumer courts. The irony is that old cases are not being resolved at the same speed with which new disputes are arising.

Date after date: Why is justice getting stuck?

The main objective of creating the Consumer Forum was to provide justice to the customers in less time and without any complicated legal process. But the reality is the opposite. The acute shortage of judges and staff in the courts, lack of infrastructure and the tendency of companies to drag out cases by creating legal complications have made the system sluggish. Consumers have to wait for years to get a small refund or justice for a defective product, due to which they have started losing faith in the system.

E-filing and technical solutions are also inadequate

For the convenience of consumers, the government has started facilities like ‘e-Daakhil’ portal, so that people can lodge complaints sitting at home. Technology has made filing complaints easier, but the hearing process is still archaic and slow. Lack of online hearing and pile of physical files still remain the biggest obstacles in the path of justice. Unless the vacant posts in the forums of every district are filled, it is difficult to get the full benefit of technology.

What recourse does the consumer have?

In the current situation, it is important for consumers to be aware as well as alert. In case of any dispute, the consumer should first contact the official channels of the company. If no solution is found, calling the National Consumer Helpline (1800-11-4000) can be an effective step. Experts say that the government will not only have to tighten the laws, but will also have to increase the number of consumer courts at the district and state level and equip them with modern facilities so that ‘justice’ is not limited to books only.