The e-Daakhil portal is now available in all states and Union Territories (UTs). This is a consumer complaints portal that provides a simple and hassle-free complaint mechanism.
It was launched in 2020, the year of COVID-19, to provide customers with an online platform for raising their issues without visiting the consumer forum and being physically present there.
All states and UTs were onboarded to the portal in a phased manner over the past three years. Thirteen states and UTs joined in 2020, 12 in 2021, and nine in 2022. By the end of 2023, 35 states and UTs had joined the portal. With its recent launch in Ladakh on November 22, 2024, the portal is now accessible in all states and UTs and to all consumers across India.
According to a government notification: “The platform is accessible to consumers across all regions of India, from metropolitan cities to remote areas. This comprehensive coverage underscores the government’s commitment to empowering consumers and enhancing the efficiency of the consumer grievance redressal system.”
At present, the portal has 281,024 registered users. The total number of cases filed is 198,725 of which 38,453 have been disposed of.
E-Daakhil Portal: The e-Daakhil portal was launched on September 7, 2020, by the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The same year, the Consumer Protection Act 2019 was notified, which became effective on July 20, 2020, to protect consumer rights.
Who Is A Consumer?
The Consumer Protection Act 2019 defines a consumer as a person, who buys any goods or services for consideration. A person who buys goods for resale or uses them for any other commercial purpose is not considered a consumer. The “buys any goods or services” includes both offline and online purchases.
What Is A Consumer Complaint?
A consumer’s every dissatisfaction cannot be termed as a complaint. According to the Act, a valid complaint must be about:
1] An unfair trade practice or a restrictive trade practice used by any trader.
2] The goods bought have one or more defects.
3] The services hired or availed of are deficient in any respect.
4] A high price, over the price fixed by or under any law, charged by the trader.
5] A good that is hazardous to life and safety.
What Does E-Daakhil Platform Offer And How Can You Benefit?
The portal allows the consumer to lodge a consumer complaint from anywhere for redressal, upload the documents online, and pay the fee online as well. Note there is no fee to file a complaint of less than Rs 5 lakh.
This portal is also integrated with the common service center (CSC) so that people in rural and remote areas can also benefit from it through CSCs. The platform is online, so people not savvy with technology can approach their local CSC to file online complaints to the concerned consumer commission. Note that CSCs may charge a fee of around Rs 50 for the registration of a consumer.
The facility to lodge complaints online not only saves costs, but also the efforts and hassle of filing it in person and running around from one office to another to receive redressal. Also, there is no need to maintain the complaint records on paper.
