Srinagar 19 July, : J&K Law Department seems to be least worried about the sufferings of people as the department has failed to re-open consumer courts in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370 . J&K Law department has failed to re-open Consumer District Forum and Consumer Commission in Jammu and Kashmir which was closed after abrogation of Article 370 as erstwhile state of J&K was reduced to Union Territory, which forced the closure of many institutions including State Human Rights Commission.As the central laws were made directly applicable to the newly formed UT, consumer courts were closed due to which thousands of cases are pending for disposal in absence of these courts.“With new Act coming into force, the then-existing consumer courts become non-functional,” said Sameer Ahmad, officer of law department.All these cases pertaining to different consumer related issues are presently lying in the lockers of Consumer Courts and the staff members of these Courts have been also shifted to other courts by the law department.“From Last two years the law department has several times assured that they will soon open these Courts but two years have gone neither the courts have been re-opened nor these cases have been transferred to other courts for timely Justice to consumers” said Arshid Ahmad, a senior High Court lawyer.Presently consumers across the valley complained that they are not able to file fresh complaints while those who have already filed are also waiting to get their cases disposed of.Sources privy to said that there are around 2.50 lakh consumer complaints pending for disposal before consumer courts across J&K.Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate from J&K High Court told that it seems the law department is in deep slumber and he added it is totally injustice with consumers whose cases are pending there.He demanded that the law department should open these courts without wasting further time as Justice delayed means Justice denied.
