New Delhi:
The Delhi High Court has warned two senior officials of the city government of contempt action if its directions on renovating a district consumer forum at Shalimar Bagh and filling up staff vacancies there are not complied with.
"Both the officials (Managing Director of DTTDC and Director, Consumer Affairs, Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department of GNCTD) are cautioned that non-compliance with the directions would entail an action for contempt of court," Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said.
The court has directed the government to complete the renovation work by January 15, 2016 and to fill the vacancies by February 16, 2016.
It was hearing a petition filed by Harjeet Singh Dhillon through advocate Pankaj Batra alleging that non-functioning of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum North West at Shalimar Bagh, Delhi due to renovation work and insufficient staff has caused unprecedented delay in disposal of cases.
"The respondent no 1 Delhi Transport and Tourism Development Corporation (DTTDC) is directed to complete the entire work of renovation on or before 15th January, 2016. The Managing Director of the respondent no 1 DTTDC is personally made responsible for ensuring that the work, as per the work awarded, is completed by January 15, 2016 to the satisfaction of the President of the consumer fora," the bench said.
"The Director, Consumer Affairs, Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Department of GNCTD is personally made responsible for compliance of the said direction," the bench said.
The corporation submitted that the renovation work was almost complete and was not a deterrent to the functioning of the consumer fora.
DTTDC also said that two phases of the work was complete and only the third phase i.e. renovation of the chambers of the members of the consumer fora is remaining and which will be completed latest by January 15.
Delhi government submitted there are only two vacancies out of the sanctioned staff of six and said that if there are more vacancies than two, the same shall also be filled up.