Table new consumer protection bill in Parliament: Pallepadu Damodar

Hanamkonda: Telangana State Consumer Societies Samakhya vice-president Pallepadu Damodar said that there is an imminent need for tabling of Consumer Protection Bill, 2018 in the upcoming Parliament sessions.

Delivering a keynote address at an awareness meeting of the consumers organised at the Sarvodaya Youth Organisation here on Friday, he stressed on the need for passing the new Consumer Protection Bill that replaces the 1986 Act to protect the interests of the consumers.

“Although the existing Consumer Protection Act is there since 1986, only three per cent of the people in the country are making use of it due to lack of awareness over the act,” Damodar said. Unless the Central and State governments allocate adequate funds, it is difficult to disseminate the benefits of the consumer protection acts, he added.

Damodar urged the government to initiate changes in the Bill if any so that it would be passed in the Parliament. He also urged the Centre to focus on online marketing besides adding provisions that strictly restricts the trade of substandard items.

“There is a need to increase monetary relief claims in complaints - up to Rs 1 crore in district forum; above Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 crore in State level; above Rs 10 crore in national level,” Damodar said. Sarvodaya Youth Organisation functionaries Hepsiba, Indira, Radhika, Rahul, Sathish, Akthar, Pridhvi and Uma were among others present.