Celebrities should care for consumers' interests: Paswan

Union Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday appealed to celebrities to consider consumer interests before endorsing products.

The minister said the government is making provisions in the new Consumer Protection Bill to ensure strict action against misleading advertisements, said an official statement.

Addressing "Consumer Mela 2016" in the capital, Paswan said voluntary action by all stakeholders, including industries and celebrities, will help immensely in dealing with the menace of misleading advertisements.

Paswan said the government is also contemplating action against those who charge over the maximum retail price (MRP).

Paswan said his ministry has decided to organise consumer awareness weeks and consumer fairs across the country every year. This will help in bringing consumers, companies and regulators on one platform for consumer awareness and their grievance redressal, he added.

Consumer Mela 2016, inaugurated on Thursday at Central Park in Connaught Place in New Delhi, has been organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

The partners in the mela (fair) are industry bodies like Assocham, CII, Dicci, Ficci and PHD Chambers, while regulators like FSSAI, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) are also taking part.

The Consumer Counselling Mechanism of the Department of Consumer Affairs, popularly known as National Consumer Helpline (NCH), is also active at the fair to educate consumers about their rights and responsibilities, the procedure for seeking grievance redressal and assisting consumers in registering their grievances, according to the statement said.

During the Consumer Awareness Week from October 20 to 27, 2016, a number of events will be organised throughout the country to create awareness about the rights and welfare of the consumers, the release said.

--IANS

nd/nir/vt