New Delhi: The center on Friday said it would soon complete a proposal to decriminalize the actions of legal metrology to reduce the burden of compliance for business and consumers.
In its virtual address on the occasion of the National Consumer Day, Minister of Union Piyush Goyus said there was a need to decrimadize the Law Metrology Act in such a way that both consumers are protected and traders are not harassed.
“This, we will finish earlier,” said Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs.
The 2009 Law Metrology Act imposed a standard related to weight and steps.
In its current form, the law prescribes prison, in addition to being smooth, for a second or further violation.
In the draft amendment of consumer protection regulations (e-commerce), the minister said the government had received “very good” feedback from various stakeholders.
Feedback was being examined to complete the draft, he said, adding that amendments had been proposed to curb unfair trade practices on the e-commerce platform and protect the interests of consumers.
In addition, the government has come out with mediation rules, direct sales and misleading ads.
Some changes have also been carried out in the rules of the Law Metrology (Packaging Commodity) 2011.
So far, the government has told 10 rules and six rules under the 2009 consumer protection law.
The work is underway in framing several other rules in various sectors.
Affect consumers, he added.
It stated that the government opened on advice to make the laws and rules simple and effective, the minister said the ‘e-dakhil’ facility was recently launched for e-filing consumer complaints to gain popularity.
More than 40,000 complaints have been registered on this platform.
However, the awareness of this platform needs to be increased so that more consumers use it, he said.
Even the e-mediation process has begun.
Efforts are being made to ensure complainants can easily appeal online and attend court hearings through video conferencing for faster complaints, he added.
To ensure the ‘country of origin’ products sold on the e-commerce platform are written clearly, the minister asks central and state officials strictly to monitor such websites and stakeholder sensitive.
Unacceptable if ‘made for India’ was written, he said and added that the details of the ‘country of origin’ must be displayed in accordance with the law of India.
He also emphasizes the need to create more awareness about the use of safety items such as helmets and pressure stoves that have ‘quality mark quality’ throughout the country.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Leena Nandan, Additional Secretary of Nidhi Khare and the Secretary of Joint Anupam Mishra, among others, is present at a virtual meeting.
The government to immediately complete a proposal to decriminalize the Legal Metrology Act: Goyal
