The District Consumer Commission is mandated to deliver speedy and affordable justice, with rules requiring disposal of complaints within three to four months. However, in five districts of the Gwalior–Chambal division—Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Datia and Sheopur—cases are frequently extending beyond this period due to structural constraints.
At present, Rajendra Prasad Sharma, drawn from the Principal District Judge cadre, serves as the chairman for all five district commissions. As a result, hearings in Gwalior are conducted only on Mondays and Tuesdays, while the remaining districts receive limited hearing days on a rotational basis. Legal practitioners say this arrangement has significantly reduced the number of effective hearing dates.
According to advocates appearing before the commissions, complainants are often given dates one to two months apart, even for routine proceedings. This has led to a steady rise in case pendency, undermining the objective of quick redressal and increasing the cost and hardship for consumers seeking relief.
The issue gained prominence on National Consumer Day as lawyers and consumer rights groups called for the appointment of separate full-time presidents for each district. They argued that the current system places an excessive administrative burden on a single officer and delays justice, particularly in insurance, banking and service-related disputes.
Meanwhile, recent judicial pronouncements in 2025 have reinforced consumer protections. The Supreme Court has directed consumer commissions to independently assess survey reports in insurance claims rather than relying on them mechanically. In another ruling, the Court held that insurers must pay at least 75 per cent of the claim amount in the absence of a fundamental policy breach.
Additionally, the National Consumer Commission has clarified that insurance claims cannot be rejected solely on the grounds of non-disclosure of common ailments such as diabetes or hypertension, terming such rejections a deficiency in service.
Consumer activists say that while progressive judgments strengthen consumer rights, timely hearings at the district level remain critical to ensure that justice is not delayed or denied.
