New Delhi [India]: A petition moved in Delhi High Court on Monday sought establishment of a consumer mediation cell in the State Consumer Commission and District Consumer Commissions in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. A Bench of Justice Rekha Palli sought response from the government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi State Consumer Commission and other respondents and slated the matter for December 20 this year. Petitioner Abhijit Mishra through advocate Payal Behl submitted that the Government of NCT of Delhi has not established a consumer mediation cell. It was further submitted that the government has not empanelled any mediator for District Consumer Commissions and the State Consumer Commission. “The government of NCT Delhi has failed in its primary obligation of the establishment of the mediation cell as per Section 74 and Section 75 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” the plea said. The petition alleged that the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has not taken steps to adopt such regulations and the citizens have been deprived of the benefits of mediation. Advocate Anuj Aggarwal, who appeared for Delhi Government, said the steps are being taken by the respondent to set up mediation centres. The court later gave directions for filing a status report in this regard. The court later gave directions for a status report in this regard. The petition said that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 89 in the Code of Civil Procedure 1908 which calls for mediation as an alternate dispute resolution mechanism for an amicable resolution of disputes between the parties. “In the absence of the mediation cell, citizens are compelled to undergo tedious litigation in the consumer commissions,” the plea said.
