Members of Ganjam District Consumer Bar Association started
indefinite agitation from Friday demanding immediate commencement of proposed
circuit bench of Odisha State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) in
Berhampur.
Led by the president of the association, Kailash Chandra
Mishra, and secretary Shyamakant Jena, the agitating lawyers sat on dharna on
the premises of District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum (DCDRF) in the city.
They shouted slogans criticising the State government and the SCDRC for the
delay in starting of the proposed circuit bench.
In January this year, the government had proposed to have
two circuit benches of the SCDRC in Berhampur and Sambalpur. The decision was
taken considering the large number of cases pending before the State Commission
from southern and western parts of the State. At present the aggrieved
consumers of south Odisha have to travel to Cuttack to file cases before SCDRC.
The director of department of consumer affairs had written
to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division and western
division as well as the secretary of SCDRC to initiate necessary measures for
functioning of the two proposed circuit benches of the commission.
The RDC had given consent to provide all facilities for
holding circuit bench the city. But, according to the members of the Bar
association, till date the SCDRC has not held any hearing of its circuit bench
in Berhampur. They alleged that similar was the situation in Sambalpur. The
lawyers said they had given a notice to the State government on their demand 15
days back but no decision has been taken in this regard. They said they would
continue their agitation till their demand was met....
Source-the hindu
