Ranchi, March 2: Complaints continue to pour in at the state consumer commission, but there is nobody to act on them.

Consumers, who go to file their applications at the commission — an apex body established under the Consumer Protection Act 1986 to solve disputes of buyers — are greeted by a sweeper-cum-peon and a personal assistant appointed on a contractual basis.

There is no sign of the chairman or the two members who are supposed to run the show at the office.

The post of chairman has been lying vacant after Gurusharan Sharma retired on January 15. Similarly, no new member was appointed after Satyendra Kumar Gupta and Kalyani Kar Ray retired on January 2 and January 8, respectively.

Sources said that two posts of personal assistants, two of assistants and that of a driver are also empty. Further, the only accountant also retired in August 2006. As a result, all kinds of official work are getting affected.

“Due to the absence of personal assistants, the orders in more than 303 cases could not be written despite conclusion of hearing. Sixty-nine new complaints have been filed since January 15,” a source added.

Those appointed on a contract basis are not getting their remuneration properly. “Salaries of contract employees are paid from the money allotted for office expenses of the commission,” an official of food and civil supply said, requesting anonymity.

Secretary of the commission Madan Sengupta, who also works as a deputy secretary in state forest department said that the secretary of food and civil supply department and national consumer commission had been informed about the vacancies, but nothing has been done yet.

When contacted, food and civil supply department secretary B.K. Tripathi declined comments on the issue.

“A state-level committee has already selected two members for the commission while recommendation for the post of chairman is expected to come from Jharkhand High Court soon,” an official of the food and civil supply department said.