The Hindu Business Line : Stricter enforcement of consumer laws urged

STRICTER enforcement of consumer protection laws is essential, as the decrees passed by the various consumer fora in the State and the country are not being enforced properly and promptly, according to several consumer activists and organisations.

They made the plea here at a seminar organised by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, the Union Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday on the occasion of the World Consumers' Day.

Mr P. Jagannadham Naidu, a retired judge and former president of the Visakhapatnam district consumer forum, said that several decrees passed by the forum had not been executed. Even the arrest warrants had not been executed.

He pleaded for stricter enforcement of the laws. "It is no use taking pride in the number of cases settled, if they remain unexecuted,'' he observed.

He also said the fees should be waived in cases where the compensation claimed was in the range of Rs 5,000-10,000.

Mr R.S Sarma, Director, Bureau of Indian Standards, Visakhapatnam, said the BIS had taken up hallmarking of gold in association with the World Gold Council. He cautioned gold buyers about the purity and caratage of the gold sold even in reputed shops.

"The testing system developed by us should be made use of by gold buyers in the domestic market. A few years ago, a survey showed clearly that even the reputed ones were indulging in sharp practices,'' he said.

He said cadmium, mixed with gold to lend greater lustre, was found to be harmful to the skin.

Ms K. Aruna, a member of Consumer Education Society, said consumer awareness was very low and the society was currently engaged in educating the fisherfolk at Jodugullapalem here on urban governance issues and consumer rights.

The society was engaged in building up consumer alliances at regional and national levels besides publishing books to promote awareness, she added.

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