New Delhi, March 5: The Supreme Court has directed all State governments, including Odisha, to pay salaries and allowances to the Chairpersons and members of the State and District Consumer Disputes Resolution Commissions (SCDRC & DCDRC).
The directive came as the Court addressed a series of connected cases related to the non-payment of salaries and allowances to the members and Chairpersons of the District and State Consumer Commissions, as well as the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
The bench, consisting of Justices Abhay S. Oka and N. Kotiswar Singh, emphasized the seriousness of the matter, warning that if the Government of India fails to resolve the issue, the Court may consider using its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. The case has been scheduled for the next hearing on April 8 at 2:00 pm.
In a prior hearing on January 7, the Supreme Court instructed the Central government to decide on a proposed amendment to the Consumer Protection (Salary, Allowances, and Conditions of Service of Presidents and Members of the State Commission and District Commission) Model Rules, 2020, by the end of February. During today's hearing, the Court was informed that, in some states, salaries and allowances are not being paid by the existing state rules.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K.M. Nataraj, representing the Central government, requested an additional two weeks to address the matter. The Court, however, insisted that salaries and allowances must be immediately paid to the Presidents and members as per the applicable rules, irrespective of other ongoing concerns.
The Court also stated that if there is non-compliance with its order, the concerned parties may submit a note to the appointed amicus curiae, who will then assist the Court in taking appropriate action. Senior Advocates Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Aditya Narayan appeared as amicus curiae in the case.
