The Centre is planning to amend suitably the Consumer Protection Act 1986 to insulate the consumers from deceitful exploitation and fleecing for commercial gains, Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, said here on Friday.
Indicating the Centre’s determination to ensure a fair deal to consumers, Mr. Paswan told the media that intense consultations were under way to revisit the schedules of the Act and it was possible the amendments could be introduced in the next session of Parliament itself.
In that connection, his Ministry had called for a meet of the National Consumer Council, State consumer forums, related officials, and agencies in New Delhi on May 29 to discuss the requirements and gaps among other consumer-related issues that needed to be filled in the Act.
Stating that he was not happy with the functioning of the consumer courts, Mr. Paswan said they would be toned up by adopting appropriate measures soon. Consumers being taken for a ride through fake and misleading advertisements must be stemmed through effective laws, the Union Minister added.
Reiterating the Centre’s zero tolerance to adulteration, especially in consumables, Mr. Paswan said that adulterers would not be spared and would be taken to task.
So far, only consumers who approached courts for remedy got compensation but now the Centre was planning to amend consumer laws so that all those who purchased the product in question would savour the fruits of justice secured by the litigant consumer, Mr. Paswan said.
Asked whether the Centre was thinking of amending the Food Security Act, a law reviled by most traders, Mr. Paswan made it clear that the government’s priority would be to implement the full scope of the Act for the benefit of consuming public.
Conceding that there were certain lacunae in Public Distribution System, Mr. Paswan said steps were taken to prevent pilferage and wastage of foodgrains by adopting modern technologies from storage point to security routines to prevent loss.
Wastage in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) handling of foodgrains that was reigning at more than 2 per cent one year ago had been brought down to just 0.04 per cent by improving work efficiency and introduction of modern technologies, the Minister said.
On AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa assuming office as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Paswan merely commented that since the courts had acquitted her, she had got the legal right to be elected as Chief Minister, cautiously side stepping from greeting or criticising her.
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