Commerce minister Tipu Munshi on Friday rightly said that it is not possible to protect consumer rights through legislation alone. Consumers should be aware of their rights, traders should respect the law and establish human values.
We have consumer rights protection law-2009 in place through which we can file complaints against the treacherous service providers though we cannot do anything when the prices of daily essentials rise without any profound reason only due to the greed of the unscrupulous middlemen. We cannot do anything when we are cheated during buying adulterated food, electronic commodities and many alike. This is how the ‘feeble fence’ of ‘protection of consumer rights’ law’ is safeguarding us.
The government has to
reinforce its market vigilance
and the monitoring process
should be equipped with
adequate manpower and resources
There was a time when our constitution had no assimilation to safeguard the interest of the consumers. There was no scope for the consumers to address their complaints. The country first came up with the law in 2009. As per the law the Directorate of National Consumer Rights (DNCR) was incorporated to protect consumers’ interest and ensure fair and transparent services in trading of goods and services. However, the Consumers’ Right Protection Act, 2009, and other laws regarding the protection of consumers’ rights have loopholes. The current system of legal protection for consumers is inadequate and outdated.
Protection of consumer rights empowers the consumer and makes them more confident. Thus it helps boost competition and spur economic growth. Hence, the authorities concerned should take necessary steps to formulate a competition law in order to increase competitiveness among businesses so that consumers around the country can avail quality goods and services at fair prices. On the other hand, the government should take harsher stand against the unscrupulous traders. The government has to reinforce its market vigilance and the monitoring process should be equipped with adequate manpower and resources. Last but not least, food adulteration and price hike of essential commodities without any valid reason are two important aspects that should be reflected in our endeavours towards protecting the right of the consumers.
