Mumbai, March 19 Maharashtra had the highest number of consumer cases filed in the country between 2020 and 2024, but its disposal rate was the lowest among the large and medium-sized states, according to a report on consumer courts.
Over five years, 91,449 cases were filed in state commissions, which include four circuits, two regional benches, and 40 district commissions. Of these, 59,067 cases were cleared, according to the Consumer Justice Report prepared by the India Justice Report (IJR).
Between 2020 and 2024, Maharashtra reported the lowest case clearance rate among the 19 large and medium-sized states. Tamil Nadu topped the list in disposal efficiency, followed by Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Mumbai's metropolitan area has four district commissions, including Central Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban Additional, Mumbai Suburban, and South Mumbai, and they cleared only 36 per cent of the 4,388 cases filed between 2022 and 2025, according to the report, which was released on Thursday.
Mumbai Suburban had the lowest case clearance rate at 19.5 per cent. In 2024, it cleared only 5 per cent of its 575 cases, the consumer justice report said.
The report, based on public data obtained through Right to Information and parliamentary replies, pointed out that each District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (DCDRC) must have one president and at least two members.
While all four DCDRCs in Mumbai's metropolitan region had a president for five years, the vacancy among member posts fluctuated. At no point were all positions filled across the four commissions, it said.
Between 2010 and 2024, most cases in Maharashtra's DCDRCs related to the insurance sector, followed by disputes in banking and housing.