Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill, 2019

Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill, 2019

Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill, 2019

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019, which seeks to strengthen the rights of consumers and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defects in goods and deficiency in services.

Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan stressed that the overall purpose of the legislation is to ease the process of addressing grievances of consumers.

The bill, which will replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, was passed in the lower house after all the amendments moved by the opposition were negated.

Under the Bill, there is provision for central government to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers and will be empowered to investigate, recall, refund and impose penalties.

It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements. There is also a provision for class action law suit for ensuring that the rights of consumers are not infringed upon.

The authority will have the power to impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to 10 lakh rupees and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.