E-Daakhil speeds up resolution of consumer cases

New Delhi: The National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC), the apex consumer protection body in India, and the Department of Consumer Affairs have successfully resolved 854 consumer cases in the month of August, reflecting an increased pace in delivering justice.

During this period, as many as 455 fresh cases were also filed which means the backlog of cases is being reduced.

The use of technology with the introduction of E-Daakhil has helped to speed up the resolution of cases, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The E-Daakhil online portal, launched by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, allows consumers to file online complaints at different consumer forums. If the claim is up to Rs 5 lakh, the case will be heard for free.

The court fees can be paid online through UPI or net banking. Within 48 hours, the case will be acknowledged, and the redress process will begin, which takes one month to complete. Besides, the messages sent to the brand and consumer can also be tracked.

The Consumer Affairs Department said it has also been monitoring consumer cases through workshops conducted in various regions of the country. It had organised a one–day regional workshops - in Guwahati in December 2022 in which the north-eastern states participated and in Chandigarh on April 10, 2023 in which the northern states participated.

In the regional workshops, the issue of pendency of consumer cases was highlighted and its solutions were discussed in brief.

The Department has organised the next regional workshop in Vishakhapatnam on September 29 in which the southern states are participating. Also, the Department has conducted sector-specific brainstorming sessions on insurance and real estate to reduce the pendency in the consumer commissions.

State-specific meetings in various states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Kerala were also held.

In order to keep up the momentum of disposal of cases, the Department has made filing of cases through E-Daakhil in consumer commissions compulsory and plans to soon launch the feature of VC on E-Daakhil.