Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued contempt notices to Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, and Principal Secretary of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department Sanjay Kumar Singh over alleged non-compliance with its order to fill vacancies in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC) within six months.
A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman issued the notices while hearing a contempt petition alleging that the state government had failed to implement the court’s directions issued on August 20, 2025.
The court observed that the contempt petition alleged non-compliance with its earlier order and directed that notices be issued to both senior officials. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on November 26.
Contempt Petition Filed Over Delay in Filling SCDRC Vacancies
The contempt petition was filed by Cuttack resident Sonali Swain through her advocate Mohit Agarwal.
The petitioner alleged that the Odisha government had failed to comply with the directions issued by the High Court in her Public Interest Litigation (PIL), despite the six-month deadline for taking necessary action.
The original PIL had highlighted vacancies in the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and their adverse impact on the functioning of the consumer dispute redressal mechanism.
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RTI Information Reveals Multiple Vacant Posts in SCDRC
Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and cited in the contempt petition revealed that several key positions in the SCDRC had remained vacant for extended periods.
According to the petition:
- SCDRC President: The post has remained vacant since July 3, 2023.
- Member: One of the four member posts fell vacant on March 4, 2026.
- Joint Registrar: The post has been vacant since February 28, 2023.
Several other positions were also reportedly vacant, including:
- Personal Assistant
- Senior and Junior Stenographers
- Junior Assistant
- Driver
- Process Server
- Five Peons
The petitioner argued that these vacancies were affecting the commission’s functioning and the timely resolution of consumer disputes.
What Did the Orissa High Court Direct in Its August 2025 Order?
While disposing of the PIL on August 20, 2025, the High Court had emphasised that providing adequate staff to the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission was a statutory responsibility of the state government under Section 46 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The court had observed that the government could not avoid its responsibility to ensure the commission functioned effectively.
It also highlighted that consumers approaching these quasi-judicial bodies for grievance redressal should not be forced to wait indefinitely because of staff shortages.
High Court Calls for Timely Recruitment to Consumer Forums
In its earlier order, the High Court directed the state government to initiate recruitment processes at least six months before an anticipated vacancy.
The direction was intended to ensure continuity in the functioning of consumer commissions and facilitate the timely disposal of pending cases.
However, alleging that the government had not complied with these directions, Sonali Swain approached the High Court through the contempt petition.
Next Hearing Scheduled for November 26
Taking note of the allegations of non-compliance, the two-judge bench issued contempt notices to Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh.
The matter will next be heard on November 26, when the court is expected to consider the issue of compliance with its earlier directions.
The proceedings have brought renewed attention to staffing shortages in Odisha’s consumer dispute redressal system and the need to ensure that statutory consumer forums function effectively.
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