By: Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Government has started the process to fill vacant posts of presidents and members of district consumer disputes redressal commissions in the Union Territory.
The Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs has begun the process to fill vacant posts of presidents and members of the bodies’ established for protecting rights of consumers in the UT.
The government has re-advertised the posts as it couldn’t draw a panel of shortlisted probables due to lack of applications or non-availability of suitable candidates.
A committee was constituted on February 3, 2021 for finalizing a panel of shortlisted candidates for these positions.
Documents in possession of The Precious Kashmir reveal that the government has re-advertised the posts of presidents in four districts of Jammu & Kashmir. These posts are lying vacant in Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara and Doda.
According to the documents, the applicant for the post of president of the commission should be a person who is, or has been, or is qualified to be a district judge.
The president of a district commission shall hold office for a term of four years or upto the age of 65 years whichever is earlier, the documents state.
The authorities have also invited applications for filling vacant posts of member (1) in districts of Kupwara, Rajouri and Doda.
Similarly, the government has also invited applications for filling vacancies of members (female) in districts of Anantnag, Kupwara and Udhampur.
According to documents, the person to be appointed as a member shall not be less than 35 years of age on the day of notification of the advertisement.
Apart from having a bachelor’s degree, the person should not have less than 15 years’ experience in consumer affairs, law, public affairs, administration, economics, commerce, industries, finance, management, engineering, technology, public health or medicine.
Under “The Consumer Protection Act-2019”, the state government shall, by notification, establish a district consumer disputes redressal commission, to be known as the district commission, in each district of the state.
Each district commission shall consist of a president and not less than two and not more than such number of members as may be prescribed, in consultation with the central government.
The district commission shall have jurisdiction to entertain complaints where the value of the goods or services paid as consideration does not exceed one crore rupees.
