New Consumer Protection Act comes into force
Kolkata: Amendment in the Consumer Protection Act will now enable a consumer to claim compensation to the extent of Rs 1 crore in district forums and Rs 10 crore in state forums.
The new amendment has been made effective across the country including Bengal from July 20. Previously, an aggrieved consumer can seek compensation of only Rs 20 lakh in district courts and Rs 1 crore in the state forums.
Union minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan has sent a communiqué in this regard to Bengal Consumer Affairs minister Sadhan Pande . Pande has written several times to the Paswan urging him to make necessary amendments in Consumer Protection Act 1986 for the benefit of the consumers.
The new amended Consumer Protection Act was passed in the Parliament in August 2019.
"People from the district will now seldom need to travel to the city for fighting their cause at the state forum with the compensation amount that can be claimed in the district forums getting enhanced significantly. The union minister has also assured me of all possible assistance in setting up National Commission bench at Rajarhat. This will be of great benefit to the people of the state and they do not need to travel outside the state to fight their case at National Commission," said Pande.
The new amended Act has also given the liberty to a consumer to fight his case even at his native place.
For example, if a person from Jhargram has been fleeced after purchasing a thing from Kolkata. The consumer can now seek justice at a court in his own district and do not need to come to Kolkata for claiming compensation.
Pande said that his department will soon come up with a consumer court at Sealdah to felicitate people from east Kolkata to fight for their cause there.
"Presently there are three state benches – two at Mirza Ghalib Street (Kreta Suraksha Bhavan) and another at Alipore. We are hopeful that the 4th one at Sealdah will be functional in a month," he maintained.
