To provide cheap, speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes, quasi-judicial machinery is set up at each District forums, State consumer forums and National consumer disputes Redressal commission respectively. At present, there are 604 District Forum, 35 state commissions with apex body as National consumer Disputes Redressal commission (NCDRC) at New Delhi.
National Commission: It is headed by a sitting or retired judge of the supreme court of India. A written complaint, as amended by consumer protection Act can be filed before national commission (above Rupees one crore) in relation to a product or in respect of a service.
State Consumer Forum: State consumer disputes redressal commission is headed by a sitting or retired judge of the high court of the state. A written complaint, as amended by consumer protection Act, 2002, can be filed before State commission (up to Rs one crore in relation to product or in respect of a service.
District Consumer Forums: District forum is headed by a sitting/ retired judge of District court. A written complaint as amended by consumer protection Act 2002 can be filed before the District Consumer Forum up to Rs twenty lakhs in relation to a product or in respect of a service.
A consumer can file a complaint in the District consumer Forum and seek redressal of the grievances under the consumer protection Act 1986. Under this Act quasi-judicial bodies have been empowered to give relief of a specific nature and to award compensation to consumers. The Act provides for setting up of consumer protection councils in the centre, the States and the Union territories.
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