The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the State government to urgently fill vacant posts in the South Goa District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, making it clear that the forum cannot function effectively without adequate staff.
Taking note that the posts of bailiff and senior stenographer have remained vacant since April 2022 and November 2023 respectively, the Bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Ashish Chavan instructed the government to appoint a stenographer, bailiff, and Lower Division Clerk (LDC) within four weeks, or, failing that, to depute qualified personnel.
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“We expect the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to immediately fill up the vacancies within a period of four weeks,” the court ordered.
The judges also stressed that the State has a responsibility to ensure its quasi-judicial bodies remain functional.
“If it wants the forum like the district consumer disputes redressal commission, which falls within its edges, to function, it must ensure that adequate staff is provided to it,” the Bench observed.
complaints over staff shortage
The order followed repeated complaints from the commission itself about the strain caused by staff shortages. In March this year, the assistant registrar wrote to the officiating president of the State Commission highlighting that the lone junior stenographer was overloaded with trials, roznama entries and judgments of the president and members.
Similar requests had also been sent to the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs seeking urgent recruitment of a senior stenographer, bailiff and clerk.
Last month, the commission, citing its inability to complete judgments without stenographic support, issued strong directions that culminated in a bailable warrant against its own registrar.
Its order noted:
“Judgment is not ready as there is no senior stenographer posted by the state commission/director. Bailable warrant issued to the registrar… Issue notice to police inspector, Panaji police station, to personally appear before this commission on the next date of hearing and to clarify as to why the bailable warrant dated Aug 1, 2025, is not executed, not returned with report to this commission. Issue fresh bailable warrant against registrar…”
HC quashes warrant
That order was challenged in the High Court by the registrar, represented by advocate Vallabh Pangam, who argued that she lacked authority to make appointments.
The Bench agreed, holding that the commission was “definitely not empowered to summon its own registrar merely because vacancies are not cleared.” Quashing the warrant, the court restrained the commission from issuing such directions in future.
