The Government of India enacted a Statue through Parliament named as Consumer Protection Act, 1986. Its implementation was left to the State Governments. The State Government implemented it on different dates. Under the Act, there is a provision for the formation of State Consumer Protection Councils and National Consumer Protection Council. There is a provision for the establishment of three tire redressal machinery known as National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission i.e. National Commission, the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission known as State Commission and the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum known as District Forum.

         In Himachal Pradesh, the State Government has established the State Commission and a District Forum in the first instance with its headquarters at State Capital Shimla which started functioning w.e.f. 01.11.1989 and also the H.P. State Consumer Protection Council was formed.  The posts were created in the Department of Food and Supplies, Himachal Pradesh and Director Food and Supplies, being the Head of Department filled up all these posts.  In the lone District Forum, at Shimla, staff was provided by the Director Food and Supplies, H.P.

         The First President of State Commission was Mr. Justice V. P. Gupta a retired Judge of Himachal Pradesh High court. There were two whole time Members. The male Member was Mr. Hem Chand , a retired I.A.S. Officer and the other was the Female Member Mrs. Devendera Kumari from Chamba. At that time the peculiar jurisdiction of the District Forum was up to 1 lac and that of the State Commission was from 1 lac to 5 lacs. Mr. Justice V. P. Gupta assumed the charge on 01.11.1989 and retired after attaining the age of 65 years on 24.01.1991.

         The State Government then appointed Mr. Justice D. P. Sood, a sitting Judge of High Court of Himachal Pradesh as its President in addition to his own duties as a Judge of the High Court. The Member Mrs. Devendera Kumari resigned .After the resignation of Mrs. Devendera Kumari, Mrs. Subh Mahajan was appointed as Member of the State Commission. After the 2 years tenure of Mr. Hem Chand as its Member , Mr. V. Verma, a retired Secretary, Vidhan Sabha was appointed as its Member. During the year 1992,  Mr. Justice R. B. Mishra, a retired Judge of Supreme Court of India was appointed as President of the State Commission.  Thereafter in 1993, the State Government appointed Mr. Justice S. K. Seth, a retired Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh as President, State Commission. During March,1995, the State Government established two more whole time District Forums one at Mandi and the other at Kangra at Dharamshala in addition to one at Shimla which was already functioning as whole time District Forum. The Jurisdiction of these District Forums was notified as under:

         Shimla District Forum: Shimla, Solan, Sirmour and Kinnaur Districts.

         Mandi District Forum: Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul Spiti, Bilaspur Hamirpur and Una Districts.

         Kangra District Forum, at Dharamshala: Kangra , Chamba and Una Districts.

         The State Government during the year 1997, set up another whole time District Forum, at Una with its jurisdiction for the Districts of Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. With the opening of this District Forum, the jurisdiction of all the whole time District Forums, is as under:-

         Shimla District Forum : Shimla, Sirmour and Kinnaur Districts.

         Mandi District Forum: Mandi, Kullu, and Lahaul Spiti Districts.

         Una District Forum: Una , Hamirpur and Bilaspur Districts.

         Kangra District Forum at Dharamshala : Kangra, Solan and Chamba Districts.