A Bill to create a Consumer Protection Authority will be placed before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan said on Monday.

The Bill will seek to amend the existing Consumer Protection Act, he said.

Paswan was addressing the media on the occasion of the Narendra Modi Government completing one-year in office. Paswan said that protection of consumers was essential, as many a times they are taken for a ride by unscrupulous companies, including e-commerce portals.

Products and services from such companies are found to be deficient. The proposed Authority will take punitive action against such companies. A provision for class actions suits will also be made in the Bill, he said.

The Minister said that the Consumers Protection Act is very old and it is not in tune with digital businesses such as e-commerce, therefore it needs to be amended. Soon a meeting with Central and State Consumers Protection Councils would be held in New Delhi for further deliberations, Paswan said.

Make in India

The Minister said under the ‘Make in India’ campaign, quality of products needs to be assured, for which standards set under Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) need to be followed but the companies should be self-complainant. If BIS standards are made compulsory then it would lead to Inspector Raj, he said.

Land acquisition

On the issue of political opposition to the Land Acquisition Act, Paswan said that even the Narmada Project and use of computers in 1980s was opposed by vested interests. But today people of the country are enjoying the fruits of the Project. In the same manner, the Land Bill will bring about the development of industry and infrastructure, he said.

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