The Supreme Court has mandated that all state governments promptly disburse the salaries and perquisites owed to the chairpersons and members of state and district consumer redressal bodies, adhering strictly to the existing rules. This directive was issued by a bench consisting of Justices Abhay S Oka and N Kotiswar Singh, who are overseeing a plea concerning the remuneration and service conditions of these consumer forum members.
During the proceedings, the bench also called upon the Central Government to decide whether to amend the Consumer Protection (Salary, allowances, and conditions of service of President and Members of the State Commission and District Commission) Model Rules, 2020. The Justices noted that if the Central Government does not make a decision regarding the prospective amendments, the Court would consider exercising its power under Article 142 of the Constitution to ensure compliance.
The order, dated March 5, explicitly states, “We direct all the state governments to ensure that without prejudice to various contentions raised in this group of cases, salary and perquisites as per existing state rules shall be immediately paid to the chairpersons/members.” This decision comes in response to issues raised about delays and discrepancies in the payment of dues to these officials, which potentially undermine their ability to perform their duties effectively.
The Supreme Court has also provided a mechanism for ensuring compliance with its directive. It mentioned that if some state governments fail to comply, “the parties concerned are free to hand over a note to that effect to the learned amicus curiae so that the court can pass an appropriate order.” This step is intended to facilitate quick resolution and enforcement, ensuring that all consumer redressal body members receive their entitled compensations without further delay.
