|
Consumer movement in India :
Consumer exploitation is the main force which drove for the consumer
movement in India. This movement may be described as the collective power
of consumers to take a country forward with respect to awaareness, education
and development. Consumer rights can be protected by voluntary associations
as well as by legislative action by Government.
The world consumer movement gained momentum only about three and
half decades ago. The credit for laying the foundation for the world consumer
movement goes to Ralph Nader of the U.S. It was his relentless efforts that
gave birth to many consumer societies in the United States.
The co-operative consumer movement was started in 1904 in India. The
focus of this movement was only on distribution of goods rather than on the
welfare of consumer.
Inspired by the Consumer Rights Bill passed on 15th March, 1962 by the
American President John F Kennedey, it was in April, 1966, nine house wives
and social workers got together and formed the Consumer guidance Society of
India (CGSI) in Mumbai, so as to protect the interests of consumers. It
conducted tests on various food stuffs for adulteration and consumer products
for substandard performance. This society has been successful in getting
thousands of compalints redressed on their own.
The important function of Consumer Guidance Society of India is to
impart consumer education. For this purpose, surveys, talks, seminars,
exhibitions and demonstrations are organised throughout the year on foods,
drugs, weights and measures, quality marks etc., and publish them for public
use.
27
During 1966, under the able leadership of late J.R.D. Tata and Late
Rama Krishna Bajaj some progressive manufacturers and traderes came
together and formed the Fair Trade Practices Association in Bombay. The main
objects of this association are to codify existing trade practices and to set up an
effective machinery for their implementation in an organised way so as to create
public confidence in business community. However, all its activities are
confined to metropolitan cities and its achievements are not satisfactory.
In 1974, Sri Bindu Madhav Joshi started Akhil Bharatiya Grahak
Panchayat in Pune. This organisation organised consumer agitations
successfully in Maharashtra.
Many consumer organisations have come up in almost all parts of the
country from middle seventies. In 1978, the Consumer Education and Research
Centre was set up in Ahmedabad. It is a public trust. In appropriate cases, this
organisation files petitions, writs and complaints in the Supreme Court, the
High Court, the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices commission and
the Consumer Dispute Redressal Agencies.
The other associations which are protecting the interest of consumers in
India area,
i)
Consumer unity and Trust Society – Colicata (Calcutta)
ii) Consumer
Education
Centre – Hyderabad and
iii) Karnataka
Consumer
Service Society - Bangalore
The second National convention that was held in New Delhi, 1991, gave
rise to the formation of confederation of Indian consumers organisations
(CICO). Thus, it was for the first time many of the consumer organisations
came together to form a National Consumer Organisation. Today, it has got
members from various states and has mustered enough consumer power to
influence the Government to act in favour of consumers.
The consumer movement in India is backward due to,
1)
Poverty
2)
Mal
nutrition
3)
Lack
of
education
4)
Poor organisation of consumers
5)
Poor implementation of Laws
28
Consumer Protection Act, 1986
To protect the interests of consumers, the Government of India has
brought many statutory regulations, ever since the independence.
1)
The prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954
2)
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 – were made to provide safety to
consumers
3)
The essential commodities Act of 1955 – was brought for the control of
production, supply and supply and prices of essential commodities.
4)
Weights and Measures Act of 1958.
5)
Monopolies and Restrictive Trade practices Act, 1969
6)
The Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act of 1974.
7)
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 etc. – were also made to protect
the interests of consumers as well as the general public.
In the history of consumer movement in India, the enactment of
consumer protection Act of 1986 (COPRA) is really a milestone. The Indian
Parliament enacted this legislation in December, 1986. This act has facilitated
for setting up of consumer protection councils at the centre and state level.
This Act extends to whole of India, except the state of Jammu &
Kashmir. The Act covers all complaints with respect to goods, services and
unfair trade practices.
The central consumer protection council or simply called central council
and state consumer protection council or simply called state council shall play
the role of promoting and protecting the following rights of the consumers.
i)
the right to be protected against marketing of goods which are hazardous
to life and property.
ii)
the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity,
standard and price of goods to protect the consumer against unfair trade
practices.
iii)
the right to be assured, wherever possible, access to variety of goods at
competitive prices
iv)
the right to be heard and to be assured that consumers interest will
receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
v)
the right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous
exploitation of consumers.
vi)
the right to consumer education.
29
The important features of this Act are :
i)
The Act is applicable to enterprise falling in the categories of public
sector, financial institutions and co-operative societies.
ii) The
provisions
mentioned in this act are in addition to the provisions that
are there in other laws.
iii)
The Act is a comprehensive legislation. Its main emphasis is on giving
speedy redressal and compensation to consumers.
Machinery for settlement of Consumer Disputes at different levels are :-
1)
A District forum in each district of every state.
2)
A State Commission in each state.
3)
A National Commission.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
