The Lok Sabha has passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 on 20th December 2018, which will replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Bill seeks to enforce consumer rights and to offer a mechanism for complaint redressal related to the deficiencies in goods and services.
Important news passed in the Consumer Protection Bill this year, which media failed to discuss are;
- Strict punishment, including imprisonment and huge monetary penalty for misleading advertisements and food adulteration.
- Celebrities involved in misleading advertisements shall also subject to monetary penalties.
- It will ensure faster dispute redressal for consumers and also consumers as Class.
- This will be the first legislation having the definition of Direct Selling as: “Direct Selling means marketing Distribution and Sale of goods and provision of services through a network of sellers, other than through a permanent retail location”.
- It allows Central government to regulate e-commerce and direct selling among other important measures.
- It also introduces product liability action stating the responsibility of a product manufacturer or product seller, of any product or service, to compensate for any harm caused to a consumer by such defective product manufactured or sold or by deficiency in services.
The main objective of the said bill is to protect of the interests of consumers and to provide effective administration and timely settle consumer disputes. Now, the bill will move to Rajya Sabha for passage.
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