Bill to protect consumers introduced in Lok Sabha

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday introduced, in the Lok Sabha, a bill for the establishment of Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an executive agency to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.

The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, was introduced after Paswan withdrew an older bill, The Consumer Protection Bill 2015. The bill would amend the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

The CCPA will make interventions when necessary to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices and to initiate class action including enforcing recall, refund and return of products.

"This fills an institutional void in the regulatory regime extant. Currently, the task of prevention of or acting against unfair trade practices is not vested in any authority. This has been provided for in a manner that the role envisaged for the CCPA complements that of the sector regulators and duplication, overlap or potential conflict is avoided," says the Bill's Statement of Object and Reasons.

The Bill also envisages provisions for product liability action on account of harm caused to consumers due to a defective product or by deficiency in services. Further, provision of "Mediation" as an Alternate Dispute Resolution Mechanism has also been provided.

--IANS

ao/vd