Several measures taken by DoCA to provide simple and speedy redressal for consumer disputes

It has been reported to the Department that most of the honey brands sold in the market are adulterated with sugar syrup. This is a serious matter as it will compromise our health in the troubled times of COVID 19 and add to the risk of Covid-19. The Department has asked the Central Consumer Protection Authority(CCPA) to look in to matter. The CCPA, in accordance with section 19(2) of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, after preliminary examination, has referred the matter to the FSSAI, the food regulator, to take appropriate action in the matter and has offered to extend cooperation in investigation of the matter for taking class action as envisaged in section 10 of the Act.

The Department takes the consumer issues seriously. Recently, taking note of an incident where a 40-year – old man set himself on fire in a Rohini mall and got burn injuries after mobile phone service centre allegedly refused to replace a phone he had bought for his niece, a 12^th class school student for her online classes, the Department took up the matter with the mobile phone company concerned. The mobile company has informed that they have decided to compensate the consumer with Rs. 1,00,000/- and a new Mobile handset.

Use of proper accurate and standards weights and measures are very important for effective functioning of any economy, as it plays an indispensable role in consumer protection as protection from malpractices of under weights or under-measure is an important function of the Government. The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 are framed to regulate the pre-packaged commodities. Under these rules, the pre-packaged commodities have to comply with certain mandatory information on e-commerce platform by the seller in the interest of consumers. It was observed that some e commerce entities are violating the mandatory requirement of declaration of information of the product on e-commerce platforms. Therefore, notices have been issued to various e-commerce entities for non-compliances.

The Department of Consumer Affairs in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, is the nodal department for consumer protection and it has been taking several measures for protection of the interests and rights of the consumers. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 has come into force from 20^th July, 2020, which provides for a three tier quasi-judicial machinery to provide simple and speedy redressal to consumer disputes. A Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been established to regulate matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practice and false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the interests of public and to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumer as a class.