NVCO appeals to implement Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Dimapur, Dec. 19 (EMN): As the country is set to observe the ‘National Consumers Day’ on December 24, the Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has appealed to the state government to implement the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 at the earliest.

As part of the ‘National Consumers Day’ in India, NVCO has decided to organise a week-long campaign on ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ which means ‘wake up consumer, be aware’ to create consumer awareness through adverts, audio-visual campaigns and consumer education.

NVCO urged every citizen to know the basic rights of consumers such as (a) The right to be protected from all kinds of hazardous goods and services, (b) The right to be fully informed about the performance and quality of all goods and services, (c) The right to free choice of goods and services, (d) The right to be heard in all decision, making processes related to consumer interests, (e) The right to seek redressal, whenever consumers rights have been infringed, and (f) The right to complete consumer education.

NVCO president Kezhokhoto Savi informed that the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, received the assent of the President of India on December 24, 1986, which according to him was a historic milestone in the consumer movement in the country. He added that the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, which replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, came into force on July 20, 2020.

He stated that the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, would empower consumers and help them in protecting their rights through its various notified rules and provisions like consumer protection councils, consumer disputes redressal commissions, mediation, product liability and punishment for manufacturer or sale of products containing adulterated/ spurious goods.

He added that the Act also included establishment of the central consumer protection authority (CCPA) to promote and enforce the rights of consumers. The CCPA would be empowered to conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute complaints/ prosecution, order recall of unsafe goods and services, order discontinuance of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements, impose penalties on manufacturers/endorsers/publishers of misleading advertisements, he added.

Savi also stated that the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 introduced the concept of product liability and brings within its scope, the product manufacturer, product service providers and product seller, for any claim for compensation. He said the Act provided simplifying the consumer dispute adjudication process in the consumer commissions.

Savi further stated that an alternate dispute resolution mechanism of mediation has been provided in the new Act, which would simplify the adjudication process. Under this mechanism, a complaint would be referred by a consumer commission for mediation, wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it, adding there would be no appeal against settlement through mediation.

In the light of above stated circumstances, NVCO appealed to the state government to implement the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 at the earliest.