The Ganjam District Bar Association members, who launched an indefinite strike demanding a circuit bench of Odisha Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Berhampur on Friday. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur, Aug. 1: Members of the District Consumer Bar Association, Ganjam, today launched an indefinite strike, demanding holding of circuit bench of Odisha Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in the city.

“We will not co-operate with the district consumer forum in any manner,” said president of the association Kailash Chandra Mishra.

President of the Ganjam Bar Association (GBA) Basant Panda said the District Consumer Bar Association was a part of the GBA. “The district consumer forum has been formed to give justice to the general consumer. But, the real tragedy is that the appellate authority of this forum is in Cuttack. On November 13 last year, the state government announced setting up of two circuit benches or appellate courts in Berhampur and Sambalpur to bring justice at doorstep. But, the decision is yet to be implemented,” said Panda.

Mishra said the association had been demanding for setting up of a circuit bench of the Cuttack-based State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Berhampur since 2011. It would help the consumers of 10 revenue districts of south Odisha. The litigants have to travel to Cuttack for getting their grievances redressed.

“Our demand is to have a circuit bench of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Berhampur. The office of the revenue divisional commissioner (south) has also agreed to provide the infrastructure facilities for the appellate court in Berhampur after the state government’s last year announcement,” he said. The revenue divisional commissioner’s office had promised to provide every help to the appellate court on everyday of the month except Mondays and Saturdays.

“But, neither the State Consumer Redressal Commission of Odisha nor the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department have taken any suitable steps to hold the bench in Berhampur,” Mishra said.

About 2,000 cases of south Odisha are now pending with the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Consumers of south Odisha are facing trouble and spending much more for the legal process in Cuttack. This, Mishra said, was in violation of the concept of justice at doorstep.