A Circuit Bench of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission would be set up at Brahmapur in the first week of February this year, assured Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Sanjay Dasburma to lawyers on Friday during his visit here. A decision of Government to have Circuit Benches of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission at Brahmapur and Sambalpur has reportedly been intimated by the Department of Consumer Welfare to the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) in Brahmapur, a copy of which has also reached the Ganjam District Consumer Redressal Forum. The department has requested the RDC and the Secretary of State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission to initiate necessary measures for smooth functioning of these two proposed Circuit Benches, sources said.
Minister Dasburma has hinted that the proposed bench at Brahmapur is likely to be inaugurated between February 3 and 5. The demand of establishment of a Circuit Bench of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in Brahmapur is a longstanding one of local lawyers and an organisation involved in consumer activism named VEDIC. “Since the Government had assured the agitating lawyers for opening of a Circuit Bench several times but in vain, we do not trust the assurances of the Minister till the bench is inaugurated,” said a senior lawyer. A delegation of the Consumer Forum lawyers’ Association led by its president Kailash Mishra, general secretary Shyamkanta Jena and vice-president Harshaprasad Das met the Minister during his visit here and discussed the issue. The State has proposed to set up Circuit Benches in Brahmapur and Sambalpur considering the large number of cases pending before the State commission. A Circuit Bench in Brahmapur would be meant for 10 districts under the Southern Revenue Division and the one proposed in Sambalpur would be meant for entire Northern Division.