The West Bengal Government is forming a five-member advisory committee for consumer protection with a fresh terms of reference that would include new areas of e-commerce and medicines.

Sadhan Pandey, West Bengal Minister of Consumer Affairs, said on Saturday that the proposed panel would have an expert representative from IIM Calcutta and IIT Kharagpur.

At a FICCI-organised function on the eve of World Consumer Rights Day, the Minister said that the advisory panel would help the government in reformulation of guidelines for consumer protection.

The Centre has already prepared draft amendments to Consumer Protection Act of 1986. "However, since the consumers protection issues are a part of the State subjects, the State Government has taken a pro-active step for the forthcoming changes in the legal framework," he said.

Consumer courts' justice delivery

The minister also mentioned that the State has planned to file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court seeking direction on civil court's interference in consumer courts' justice delivery.

"Supreme Court in more than one instances asked high courts not to allow stay on consumer courts verdict. However, such verdicts often get stayed in civil courts. To get a clarity on the issue, the State wished to move the apex court shortly", the Minister explained.

Consumer court proceedings

He said West Bengal was also planning to introduce a new fee of Rs 5,000 for seeking an adjournment in consumer court proceedings. This new element is expected to reduce the justice delivery time by the consumer courts.

The Minister said the State was encouraging NGOs to help poor but aggrieved consumers in seeking legal redressals. "The NGOs can get financial reembersements from the Government for legal aid provided to such consumers", he added.

The State Government would also implement "right to public services" through his department. The State Consumers Affairs Department is in the process of setting up a "commission" for redressal of grievances regarding public services rendered by the different Government Departments as well as civic bodies, Pande added.

Mala Bnerjee, President of the Federation of Consumer Associations of West Bengal, pointed out that the department should also focus on "investors protection" in view of multi-crore frauds by money collection schemes in the State.

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