Paswan to manufacturers: Make important information on products 'readable'

If you manufacture consumer products, you'll have to increase the text size on your product so that important information about your product is readable.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday announced new rules in this regard.

Addressing a press conference here, Paswan said packaged commodity rules, 2011, have been amended.

"As per the amendments, there won't be dual MRP (maximum retail price) on the products. Secondly, it has been made compulsory to increase the prevailing text size by minimum one and half and maximum double on the products about important details like- name of manufacturer, manufacturing date, date of import, expiry date, MRP, quantity, and customer care details," Paswan said.

The minister further added that "the e-commerce companies will also have to follow new text size rule so that it is easy for the consumers. We have also brought medical device under the packaged commodity rules, 2011. Therefore, the medical device manufacturers will also have to follow the new rules of text size".

Paswan also informed that after the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), prices have either increased or decreased of the products and also many manufacturers and traders are having old stock.

The food and consumer department has devised a way so that neither the consumer nor the seller should bear the loss.

"Our department has asked the manufactures, dealers and others to apply an additional sticker of new Maximum Retail Price (MRP) along with old MRP on the old stock of the products so that the consumers come to know whether the price of the product has increased or decreased. This is mandatory and if there are complaints about the flouting of the order then the appropriate action would be taken against the defaulters," Paswan said.

He further added that "this provision will be allowed till September 30 this year and after that only revised MRPs should be allowed".

Under the GST regime, if a price of a product has increased the manufacturer/ importer/ packer will also have to give an advertisement in two newspapers about the new MRP.

Food and Consumer Affairs department has constituted a committee that will look after the grievances of customers post GST. Consumers can use new GST consumer helpline number 14404 to lodge their complaints and swift action would be taken.