The term ‘consumer is king’ is much abused in India. In the absence of a robust, institutional framework to stem the decline in quality of goods and services she/he has availed of, the helpless consumer has been misled and cheated for the longest time. All that is set to change with the proposed Consumer Protection Act, 2017 that mandates stringent punishment for those who are found guilty of violating consumer rights. Clubbing steep fines and imprisonment — including life imprisonment in extreme cases — is a potent move to restore fear among those who, aware of the loopholes in the existing system, have routinely exposed people to harmful substances by manufacturing and peddling spurious and adulterated food items.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

At a time when the economy is floundering and private consumption is sluggish, such a law will bring about a sea of change in the buyer-provider relationship, and will go a long way in boosting consumption. This law should be seen in conjunction with other reforms, including those in the real estate sector, especially with the setting up of Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Maharashtra, which restores the consumer to his rightful place — on the pedestal, that is.

The earlier Consumer Protection Act, 1986, was toothless. The aggrieved party could always approach the consumer court for redressal, but the cases often dragged on for years, and finally, when compensation was awarded, it turned out to be a pyrrhic victory. If corruption can be nipped in the bud with effective implementation of the law, if the consumer can actually believe that he is getting value for money, it will be nothing short of a miracle in a country where ignorance and illiteracy run deep and raising awareness is merely an occasional exercise.