J&K Law Department seems to be least worried about the sufferings of people as the department has failed to re-open consumer courts in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
J&K Law department has failed to re-open Consumer District Forum and Consumer Commission in Jammu and Kashmir which was closed after abrogation of Article 370 as J&K was reduced to Union Territory, which forced the closure of many institutions including State Human Rights Commission.
As the central laws were made directly applicable to the newly formed UT, consumer courts were closed due to which thousands of cases are pending for disposal in absence of these courts.
“With new Act coming into force, the then-existing consumer courts become non-functional,” said Sameer Ahmad, officer of law department.
All these Cases pertaining to different consumer related issues are presently lying in the lockers of Consumer Courts and the staffs of these Courts have been also shifted to other courts by law department.
“From Last two years law department has several times assured that they will soon open these Courts but two years have gone neither the courts have been re-opened nor these cases have been transferred to other courts for timely Justice to consumers” said Arshid Ahmad, a senior High Court lawyer.
Presently consumers across valley complained that they are not able to file fresh complaints while those who have already filed are also waiting to get their cases being disposed off.
Sources privy said that there are around 2.50 lakh consumer complaints pending for disposal before consumer courts across J&K.
Meanwhile Senior Advocate from J&K High Court told that it seems law department is in deep slumber and he added it is totally injustice with consumers whose cases are pending there.
Several consumers expressed similar views and urged upon the authorities to make Consumer Courts functional in J&K without any further delay or transfer pending cases to other courts for immediate disposal as Justice delayed means Justice denied.
