Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Jul 7: In a significant move, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has ordered creation of consumer mediation cells in the state consumer commission and district consumer commissions for resolution of consumer disputes through settlement mechanisms.
The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has ordered creation of consumer mediation cells in the state consumer commission and each district consumer commission for resolution of consumer disputes through mediation.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section(1) of section 74 read with section 102 of Consumer Protection Act-2019, the Government hereby establish a consumer mediation cell in state consumer commission and each district consumer commission of Jammu & Kashmir comprising of president of the commission and one member to be nominated by the president,” reads a notification issued by Zubair Ahmed, commissioner secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
According to Section 37(1) of Consumer Protection Act- 2019, consumer commission may refer a consumer dispute for mediation at the first hearing of the complaint after its admission, or at any later stage, if it appears to it that there exists any element of a settlement which may be acceptable to the parties.
The mediation will be done by a person among the panel of the mediators. The panel of the mediators will be prepared by the respective consumer dispute redressal commissions as the case may be. The mediation cell attached to the respective commission will maintain such a panel on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of the president and a member of that commission. The panel of mediators shall be valid for a period of five years.
