HYDERABAD: The State’s Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (TSCDRC) is facing a delay in work due to limited staff. Despite increasing members in the commission from two to four, documentation and other works are moving slowly because of a shortage in employees.
Currently, 32 employees are working in the commission, of which only 17 are regular members, while 15 members are working on an ‘outsourcing’ basis. The total number of posts in the commission is 54 and 22 posts still lie vacant. Files are piling up on the desks and the staff is overburdened with one person being forced to perform multiple roles. A person managing the documentation is also being pushed to make order copies and since only three copies can be made per day, new recruitment is needed urgently.
Multiple requests to the government to fill up the vacancies have not been considered yet. According to the staff at the commission, the government has increased the members of the commission to four from two besides the president. Each member needs a stenographer for documentation but not a single steno has been appointed. A personal assistant is doing the job of a steno at TCRDC.
“We have requested the government for the appointment of two stenos, which is under consideration now,” said an official who did not want his name quoted. As many as 98 consumer complaints were disposed by the commission up to September in 2021, while 992 complaints are pending with the commission.
As many as 216 of 669 appeals were cleared as revision portions were being cleared faster. Of 30 petitions, 29 were cleared.