Government may make online filing mandatory for consumer complaints

The government plans to make online filing the only method for lodging consumer complaints in Consumer Redressal Commissions starting April 1, 2023, a senior official said.

"This will help in faster resolution of cases," the official said.

The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) is working on finalising the plans.


There will be provisions for those who do not have access to the internet and smart phones to file from consumer support centres established across the country, said the official quoted above.

This is a part of the government's initiative to reduce timelines for the resolution of cases in consumer courts. It has started hosting mega Lok Adalats and enabling the national consumer helpline with artificial intelligence (AI) to resolve long-pending cases at a faster pace.

DoCA is ranking the performance of the consumer courts in terms of the pace at which they can dispose of cases filed before 2000.