Letters to the consumer commission, Lok Adalat and RTI applications

1. Consumer redressal commissions: the law in brief

• A consumer is one who buys goods or hires services for consideration, not for resale or commercial purpose (s. 2(7)). Complaints lie for defective goods, deficient services, unfair or restrictive trade practices, excess price, and hazardous goods (s. 2(6)).
• Three tiers: District, State and National Commissions. Under the 2021 jurisdiction rules, the District Commission hears complaints where the value of goods or services paid for is up to Rs. 50 lakh; the State Commission above Rs. 50 lakh up to Rs. 2 crore; the National Commission above Rs. 2 crore.
• The complaint may be filed where the opposite party resides or carries on business, where the cause of action arose, or where the complainant resides or personally works for gain (s. 34(2)). It may be filed online (e-Daakhil). No lawyer is required.
• Limitation: within two years of the cause of action (s. 69).
• Reliefs (s. 39): removal of defects, replacement, refund, compensation, discontinuance of the unfair practice, withdrawal of hazardous goods from sale, punitive damages.
• Appeal from the District to the State Commission within 45 days (s. 41).

2. Model: complaint about paint with toxic lead

BEFORE THE DISTRICT CONSUMER DISPUTES REDRESSAL COMMISSION, BENGALURU URBAN
Consumer Complaint No. ____ of 2026

Mr. Suresh Rawat, aged 42, No. 18, 4th Cross, Jayanagar, Bengaluru – 560 041 … Complainant
versus
M/s Colourhome Paint Suppliers, represented by its Proprietor, 7 Market Road, Jayanagar, Bengaluru – 560 011 … Opposite Party

Complaint under section 35 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019

1. On 4 March 2026 the complainant bought 40 litres of “Brightwall” enamel paint from the opposite party for Rs. 16,800 (Invoice No. 1187, Annexure A) to paint his house, telling the opposite party that it was for a home with two young children.
2. In April 2026 his younger child, aged four, developed stomach pain and irritability. Blood tests showed raised lead levels (Annexure B). A sample of the paint, tested at an accredited laboratory, contained 1,850 ppm of lead (Annexure C).
3. The Household and Decorative Paints (Regulation of Lead Contents) Rules, 2016 prohibit the sale of household paint containing more than 90 ppm of lead. The paint sold was therefore hazardous and defective, and its sale as safe for homes is an unfair trade practice.
4. The complainant’s legal notice of 10 May 2026 (Annexure D) was not answered.
5. The cause of action arose at Jayanagar, Bengaluru, within this Commission’s jurisdiction; the value paid is within its pecuniary limits; and the complaint is within two years.

Prayer: the complainant prays that the Commission direct the opposite party to (a) refund Rs. 16,800; (b) pay Rs. 1,20,000 for repainting the house; (c) pay Rs. 2,00,000 as compensation for the child’s illness, medical expenses and mental agony; (d) withdraw the paint from sale; and (e) pay costs of Rs. 10,000.

Verification: I, Suresh Rawat, state that the facts above are true to my knowledge. Verified at Bengaluru on 20 June 2026.
(signature) Complainant
Encl: Annexures A to D; affidavit

A product-liability claim against the manufacturer can be added under Chapter VI of the Act; if the question names only the supplier, sue the supplier as a product seller.

3. Lok Adalat

• Organised under s. 19 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 by the State, District and Taluk Legal Services Authorities.
• Takes up (s. 20) cases pending in court, if the parties agree or one party applies and the court finds a chance of settlement, and pre-litigation disputes on application. Offences not compoundable by law are excluded.
• Decides by compromise only. The award is deemed a decree of a civil court, final and binding, and no appeal lies from it (s. 21). Court fee already paid is refunded.
• Permanent Lok Adalats (Chapter VI-A, s. 22B) hear disputes about public utility services (transport, post, telephone, electricity, water, hospitals, insurance) and may decide on merits if conciliation fails.

Model application (body): “To The Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Belagavi. Sub: Application for reference of O.S. No. 214/2024 (pending before the Principal Civil Judge, Belagavi) to the next Lok Adalat. Sir, I am the plaintiff in the above suit for recovery of Rs. 3,40,000 from the defendant. The defendant has offered to pay in instalments, and both of us wish to settle. I request that the suit be referred to the forthcoming Lok Adalat under section 20 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. The defendant’s consent letter is enclosed.”

4. Right to Information Act, 2005

• Every citizen has the right to information held by or under the control of a public authority (ss. 2(j), 3): records, documents, e-mails, opinions, samples, data.
• Application (s. 6): in writing or electronically, in English, Hindi or the official language of the area, to the Public Information Officer (PIO), with the prescribed fee (Rs. 10 under the Central rules). No reason need be given (s. 6(2)). Persons below the poverty line pay no fee.
• Time: reply within 30 days; within 48 hours if the information concerns the life or liberty of a person; 5 days more if filed with an Assistant PIO; transfer to the right authority within 5 days (ss. 6(3), 7).
• Exemptions: s. 8 (security and sovereignty, cabinet papers, trade secrets, fiduciary information, personal information, and others) and s. 9 (copyright of a third party). The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 has amended s. 8(1)(j) to exempt personal information more widely.
• First appeal within 30 days to the officer senior to the PIO; second appeal within 90 days to the Central or State Information Commission (s. 19).
• Penalty on a PIO for refusal or delay without reasonable cause: Rs. 250 a day, up to Rs. 25,000 (s. 20).

Model RTI application

To
The Public Information Officer, Office of the Executive Engineer, PWD Division, Dharwad

Sub: Application under section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005

1. Name: Priya Desai · 2. Address: 12 Saptapur, Dharwad – 580 001 · 3. Phone/e-mail: 9xxxxxxxx0
4. Information sought (for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026):
(a) the sanctioned estimate and amount spent on repair of the Kelgeri Road, Dharwad;
(b) name of the contractor and a copy of the work order;
(c) copies of the measurement book entries and completion certificate;
(d) the defect-liability period under the contract and action taken on complaints during it.
5. I would like the information as certified photocopies; I will pay the copying charges.
6. Fee: Rs. 10 paid by Indian Postal Order No. ____ / online receipt No. ____.
7. I am a citizen of India.

Place: Dharwad · Date: 1 October 2026 · (signature) Priya Desai

How this is examined

“Application under the RTI Act” (short note, January 2026, 100 marks); “short note on the RTI Act” (January 2026, 6); “What is the RTI Act? What are the steps for filing an application?” (January 2025, 10); “consumer redressal forum” (January 2026, 6); the lead-paint complaint (August 2024, 10). Lok Adalat is in the syllabus and is a likely note. In drafting answers, cite the section under which you file.