Centre simplifying rules to strengthen consumer cause, says Meghwal

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal discusses simplifying consumer protection rules and enhancing grievance redressal in a capacity building program.

The Union Government has been engaged in measures to simplify consumer protection rules to ensure that grievances are redressed in a time-bound manner, Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Sunday.

Addressing the valedictory session of a three-day capacity building programme on the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 hosted by the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College with support of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said the focus has also been on ensuring the grievance redressal can be fulfilled at the least possible cost.

The Minister pointed out that the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had amended the Consumer Protection Act in 2019 keeping in view the business practices and requirements of the country. The Act, which laid emphasis on consumer empowerment, had stringent provisions for misleading advertisements, while a Central Consumer Protection Authority with executive authority has been constituted for quick remedial action.

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority had significantly increased protection of home-buyers by ensuring only bonafide builders functioned in the real estate space, pegging booking charge at 10% of net cost and stipulating that the developer-builder deposit 70% of funds in an escrow account to eliminate diversion of funds and inordinate wait-times for project completion and hand-over, Mr. Meghwal said.

The Bureau of Indian Standards Act has been amended to ensure that any commodity or service related to consumer can be brought under mandatory certification, if required. The provisions also allow for recall of sub standard products from the market and provision for compensation for consumers, Mr. Meghwal said.

According to Mr. Meghwal, consumer protection has been an integral part of governance over the ages in India, even fiding mention in the Atharva Veda where it forbade malpractice in quality and measurement. Besides, the capacity of the national consumer helpline has been increased four-fold, several private companies have been integrated into the central consumer portal to for quicker referral and redressal of complaints and awareness campaigns launched under the “Jago Grahak Jago” banner, he said.

Pointing out that chairpersons and members of consumer protection agencies of five States had participated in the capacity building initiative, the Minister promised to take up with the Minister concerned the recommendations emerging from the three-day exercise.