The Union Minister of Consumer Affair, Food & Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said that services and products in the area of health, food will soon have to follow mandatory quality standards.
“Precious metal like gold and silvers will also have to wear hallmarking for the larger interests of consumers. New Bureau of Indian Standards Act has been enacted for this purpose and rules are being framed,” said Paswan while addressing regional editors’ conference in Chandigarh.
He said that his Ministry is also working on new Consumer Protection Act which will have more teeth to protect the interests of consumers. An authority has been proposed under the Act to take suo motto action if product and services are not up to the standard. T
The Minister said charging over MRP is unfair trade practice and expressed hope that the new Consumer Protection Act will effectively check that.
Regarding misleading advertisements, Ram Vilas Paswan said effective provisions have been proposed in the new Consumer Protection Act. The Act will enable people to file complains in Consumers Courts online from any place in the country and it will ensure time bound admission of their complaints in the courts, said he.
Highlighting reforms initiated in Public Distribution System, the Union Minister said that so far 100 per cent digitization of ration card has been completed and about 70 percent cards have been linked with Aadhar Cards to make the system more transparent and leak proof.
He added that at present more than 81 crore people are getting subsidized food grains i.e .Rs. 2/kg wheat and 3/kg rice under National Food Security Act and very soon, beneficiaries from across the nation except Tamil Nadu will get food grains.