Hyderabad: Telangana high court on Wednesday sought detailed information from the state govt on the eligibility criteria and appointment process for chairpersons of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions (DCDRCs), while hearing allegations that several appointments were made in violation of statutory provisions and Supreme Court guidelines.Observing that the issue involved a matter of public importance, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said no interim orders could be granted at this stage. The court noted that any decision on the allegations would be taken only after examining the complete record, including the qualifications of the appointed chairpersons, the procedure followed for their selection, the recommendations of the selection committee and the govt’s approval process.The matter was adjourned to Sept 17.Advocate Vijay Gopal, appearing as party-in-person, contended that the appointments of DCDRC chairpersons had been made in violation of legal provisions and contrary to guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.He argued that several chairpersons of district consumer commissions did not possess the qualifications required for appointment to the post of district judge and that there was no material on record to show they had cleared the relevant examination.Vijay Gopal relied on information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in support of his submissions.After hearing the arguments, Justice Vijaysen Reddy observed that the RTI response alone could not form the sole basis for deciding the issue and that the govt’s stand would also have to be taken into consideration.The court consequently directed the govt to examine the original records and submit complete details regarding the appointments before the next date of hearing.
