THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT,1986
An Act to provide for the better protection of the interests of consumers and for that purpose to make provision for the establishment of Consumer Councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumers disputes and for matters connected therewith.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty seventh year of the Republic of India as follows:
Statement of Objects and Reasons
1. The Consumer Protection Bill, 1986 seeks to provide for better protection of the interests of consumers for that purpose, to make provision for the establishment of Consumer Councils and other authorities for the settlement of consumer disputes and for matters connected therewith.
2. It seeks, inter alia, to promote and protect the rights of consumers such as-
(a) The right to be protected against marketing of good which are hazardous to life and property;
(b) The right to be informed about the quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices;
(c) The right to be assured, wherever possible, access to variety of goods at competitive prices;
(d) The right to be heard and to be assured that consumers’ interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums;
(e) The right to seek redressal against unfair trade practice or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers; and
(f) Right to consumer education.
3. The objects are sought to be promoted and protected by the Consumer Protection Council to be established at the Central and State levels.
4. To provide speedy and simple redressal to consumer disputes, quasi-judicial machinery is sought to be set up at District, State and Central levels. These quasi-judicial bodies will observe the principles of natural justice and have been empowered to give reliefs of a specific nature and to award, wherever appropriate compensation to consumers Penalties for non-compliance of the orders given by the quasi-judicial bodies have also been provided.
5. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objects.
Author: Ananya Pandey,
Law student 4th b.a.llb marathwada mitra mandal's shankarrao chavan law college