HYDERABAD: Telangana ranked last among 19 large and mid-sized states in the Consumer Justice Report 2026, pointing to gaps in the state’s consumer dispute redressal system.
The report, released by the India Justice Report (IJR), assessed consumer commissions on infrastructure, staffing, budgets, workload and diversity. Among states with populations above one crore, Telangana was placed 19th. Andhra Pradesh ranked first, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and West Bengal.
Telangana recorded a 100% case clearance rate between 2020 and 2024 and has no vacancies among members in the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC), placing it among four states with full member strength.
However, the report noted structural gaps. The state commission currently has no president and there is a 25% vacancy among district commission presidents. Only 12 district commissions are functioning across 33 districts, against the mandate of one commission per district.
Indicators used in the ranking include vacancies among presidents, members, women members and staff, case clearance rate, cases pending for more than three years, the proportion of district commissions to districts and budget utilisation.
The report also flagged delays in disposal of cases. At the state commission level, cases take an average of 974 days to be resolved, far exceeding the stipulated 90–150 days. At the district level, the average disposal time is about 669 days, with most cases lasting more than a year.
Data from 2010 to 2024 shows nearly 11,700 cases were filed before the state commission. Of these, 66% were first appeals and 19% were original consumer complaints. Housing disputes formed the largest share at 25%, followed by insurance at 21% and agriculture at 15%.
Releasing the report, former Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said vacancies and infrastructure gaps weaken the intent of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Justice Madan B Lokur said the system was functioning at a “subsistence level” with many cases pending for over three years.