Andhra tops consumer justice rankings; gaps remain in staffing, infrastructure

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the top-performing state in consumer justice delivery among large and mid-sized states, according to the Consumer Justice Report 2026 released by the India Justice Report (IJR) on Wednesday.

The state ranked first among 19 states with populations exceeding 1 crore, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and West Bengal.

High case disposal rate

The report, which assesses the capacity and performance of consumer dispute redressal commissions across India, highlights Andhra Pradesh’s high case disposal rate and relatively low pendency, while also flagging gaps in staffing and infrastructure.

93 per cent of cases cleared in 4 years

Andhra Pradesh demonstrated robust efficiency in handling consumer cases. The state cleared nearly 93 per cent of its cases between 2020 and 2024, one of the highest disposal rates in the country.

It also recorded the lowest share of long-pending cases among the 19 large and mid-sized states, with only 4.75 per cent of cases pending for more than three years between 2022 and 2024.

Further, vacancies at the district level remained minimal, with only a 6 per cent shortfall in Presidents and 3 per cent in members of District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions (DCDRCs) as of 2025, the lowest in its category.

Staffing and infrastructure gaps persist

Despite topping the rankings, the report flagged key shortcomings.

As of 2025, the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (SCDRC) was functioning without a President, raising concerns over leadership and decision-making capacity.

Additionally, there was a 25 per cent shortfall in SCDRC members. Infrastructure gaps were also evident, with only 17 out of 26 districts (65%) having a dedicated District Consumer Commission.

Clear jurisdiction across three tiers

The report reiterates the jurisdictional framework under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019:

- District Commissions handle cases where the value of goods or services does not exceed Rs 50 lakh.

- State Commissions deal with cases between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore.

- National Commission hears cases exceeding Rs 2 crore.

Only 5% of cases are pending beyond 3 years

As per Section 38(7) of the Consumer Protection Act, complaints should ideally be resolved within three to five months, depending on complexity.

In this context, Andhra Pradesh stood out with only about 5 per cent of cases pending beyond three years, the lowest among comparable states, indicating relatively better efficiency in clearing older cases.

Insurance and housing dominate case load

A sector-wise analysis of cases filed between 2010 and 2024 shows that insurance disputes formed the largest chunk of cases in the state.

Out of nearly 19,000 cases filed with the SCDRC:

- 34% (6,018 cases) were related to insurance

- 12% to housing

- 11% to banking

The report also noted that 52 per cent of the cases were first appeals, while only 7 per cent were original consumer complaints. The remaining 20 per cent fell under an unspecified ‘others’ category.

Delays remain a concern

While overall performance remains strong, delays in case disposal continue to be a challenge. More than 40 per cent of cases took over a year (365 days) to be resolved.

On average, cases in Andhra Pradesh’s SCDRC were disposed of in 416 days. Only 25 per cent of cases were resolved within the mandated three-month period.

Smaller states category

Among smaller states with populations below one crore, Meghalaya secured the top rank, followed by Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.

Methodology of the report

The IJR study is based on data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) applications and Parliamentary responses.

It evaluates states across parameters such as budget allocation, infrastructure, human resources, workload and diversity to assess their readiness to deliver consumer justice under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.