Under the Punjab Consumers Protection Act-2005, district consumers' courts and district consumers' protection councils have been established in 11 districts of the province. Punjab Consumers Protection Council Director, Nadeem Irshad Kayani said this while briefing newsmen, here on Tuesday.
The newly established courts and council would protect consumers' right and complaint could be submitted on plain paper without any court fee to DCO or directly to the Councils, he added. Moreover, consumers' protection councils and district consumers' courts would also be set up in other districts and till that the existing courts and councils would cater to the need of allied districts, he added.
He said on receipt of complaint regarding substandard product and poor service, an inquiry would be held against the manufacturer or service provider and would be submitted to the courts, specifically set up for consumers' protection.
The court will decide the case within six months. So far, 76 complaints were received in the offices of DCOs and district consumers protection councils out of which four had been decided, 11 were under process while 61 had been referred to the respective courts, he added.
Similarly, 56 cases were registered, out of which 13 have been adjudicated and 43 are still pending with the courts, he maintained. He further said the courts would provide relief to the complainants in form of compensation, replacement of substandard product/equipment and damages.
Giving details of the district consumers' courts, he said that Lahore court would also deal with complaints received from Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib.
Pakpattan and Okara districts have been allied with Sahiwal, Lodhran, Vehari and Khanewal with Multan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh and Layyah with Dera Ghazi Khan, Attock and Chakwal with Rawalpindi, Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum with Gujrat, Narowal with Sialkot, Hafizabad with Gujranwala, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan with Bahawalpur, Khushab, Bhakkar and Mianwali with Sargodha, and Jhang and Toba Tek Singh have been allied with the district consumers' court Faisalabad.
To a question, he said the council would comprise of 11 each officials and non-official members. The nomination of non-official members is yet to be received by the Punjab Chief Minister afterward the council will be completed.