• E-Daakhil portal for Consumer grievance redressal is now operational in 15 States/UTs. Department of Consumer Affairs is now proactively following up with the states to launch e-filing portal at their ends.

    • The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which has come into force from 20th July, 2020, has provision for e-filing of consumer complaints in the Consumer Commissions and online payment of the fees for filing a complaint.

    • A web application for E-filing of consumer complaints named “edaakhil.nic.in” has been developed by NIC for the purpose. 

    • This digital software for filing consumer complaints has the many features like e-Notice, case document download link & VC hearing link, filing written response by opposite party, fling rejoinder by complainant and alerts via SMS/Email.

    • The e-daakhil portal empowers the consumer and their advocates to file the consumer complaints along with payment of requisite fees online from anywhere for the redressal of their complaints.

    • It also facilitates the consumer commissions to scrutinize the complaints online to accept, reject or forward the complaint to the concerned commission for further processing.

    • To facilitate the rural consumers for e-filing, it has been decided to integrate the Common Service Centres (CSC) with the e-daakhil portal.

    • As many consumers at Gram Panchayat level may either not have access to electronic modes of communication or unable to use the tools, they may avail the services of CSCs in filing their complaints in the Consumer Commission.

    • The work for integration of this portal with CSC is under process.

    • E-filing was launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on 7th September, 2020.

    • Delhi was the first state to implement it on 8th September, 2020.  Later Maharashtra, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka & Haryana implemented facility of e-filling in their respective States/UTs.  

    • Department of Consumer Affairs had been proactively following up with the States/UTs to launch e-filing. Total 444 locations are covered including NCDRC, State Commissions and District Commissions.

About NCDRC

    • The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), India is a quasi-judicial commission in India which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.

    • Its head office is in New Delhi.

    • The commission is headed by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.

    • The commission is presently headed by Justice R K Agrawal, former judge of the Supreme Court of India.

    • Section 21 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 posits that the National Consumer shall have jurisdiction: - to entertain a complaint valued more than one crore and also have Appellate and Revisional jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District fora as the case may be.

    • Section 23 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986, provides that any person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC, may prefer an Appeal against such order to Supreme Court of India within a period of 30 days.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants. The views expressed here are personal.)