NEW DELHI: Here is a wake up call for district consumer forums to work efficiently or else be prepared for public scrutiny. The government has finalized a mechanism for giving rate card to forums based on their scores calculated keeping in mind speed of disposal of cases, period of adjournment, number of adjournments and average time taken for admission.

Consumers, activists and NGOs, members of consumer forums, bar councils and advocates will soon get details of the sector and year wise cases filed in these forums. Even annual disposal of cases, adjournments and pendency details of each court will be available in public domain.

Sources said that a dashboard developed by Computerization and Computer Networking of Consumer Fora in Country ( CONFONET ) will contain all these information for the public. The dashboard will also contain details on timely disposal of cases and details on applications pending for execution of orders.

Indiscriminate adjournments by district forums have been identified as one of the main causes of harassment of consumers. “This is a positive move. Once the detailed performance of forums is available on the website, people will raise questions and there will be pressure on the poor performing forums to deliver,” said consumer activist Bejon Misra .

This is one of several steps that government is taking to revamp the consumer forums, more so after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked consumer affairs ministry to strengthen these forums since these are “window to justice for the poor”.

One of the major amendments being proposed is to select the members of district forums through a written exam and personal interview by the state public service commissions. This will put an end to the present practice of politicians and even housewives becoming members. Another major change mooted is to ensure that district forums have to admit complaints within 21 days.

There are also proposals for uniform salary and perks of the members across states and also allowing consumers to file cases from their place of residence. Moreover, to ensure that decisions of lower forums are respected and complied with, there is a provision that the opposite party can challenge a forum’s order in higher forum or court only after depositing 50% of the penalty.

Even consumers will be allowed to fight their cases up to the highest level like that of the Civil Procedure Code.