The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution called a meeting of former secretaries of consumers affairs’ departments and Members of Parliament to hold consultations on framing of rules for the newly-passed Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Ram Vilas Paswan, minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, stated at a press conference in New Delhi recently that the Act will be more holistic and stringent once the rules are framed to protect the interest of the Consumers.

Under the new Act, there are provisions for deterrent punishment to check misleading advertisements and adulteration of products, product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services.

The Act also enables regulations to be notified on e-commerce and direct selling with focus on protection of interest of consumers.

Paswan informed that the Act, amongst other things, proposes setting up of a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.

The CCPA would make interventions to prevent consumer detriment arising from unfair trade practices. The agency can also initiate class action, including enforcing the recall, refund and return of products.

The new Act said that the examination of manufactured products can be done on multiple levels, such as before, during or after the purchase, and if the product is found to be faulty at any level, the entire batch of the product will be withdrawn from the market.

The Act also envisages simplified dispute resolution process, has a provision for mediation and e-filing of cases. The consumer will be able to file cases in the nearest commission under the jurisdiction of which he resides.

For the first time, there will be an exclusive law dealing with product liability. A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller will now be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services.

Presently, the consumer has only a single point of access to justice, which is time-consuming through consumer courts prescribed in various districts in the country.