Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on February 9, 2022, informed that in order to protect the rights of consumers as a class, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to e-commerce entities found selling pressure cookers in violation of Domestic Pressure Cooker (Quality Control) Order, 2020, under which Central Government has directed conformity to standard and compulsory use of standard mark to prevent risk of injury or harm to consumers. So far, 15 notices have been sent to e-commerce entities and sellers found selling non-standard pressure cookers online.
To ensure conformity to standard and protect consumers from sub-standard goods, the Central Government is empowered to direct compulsory use of standard mark under Section 16(1) of BIS Act, 2016. The directions are generally published in form of Quality Control Orders (QCOs). The QCO for Domestic Pressure Cooker came into force on February 1, 2021, and QCO for Helmets came into force on June 1, 2021.
BIS has also issued 3 notices for violation of Quality Control Order for Pressure Cookers and 2 notices for violation of Quality Control Order for Helmets.
As against violations of mandatory declarations under the Legal Metrology Act 2009, and the rules made thereunder like country of origin, expiry date etc, a total of 305 cases have been booked for various violations from October 16, 2020, to February 3, 2022,
So far, 90 companies have compounded their offences and the total amount collected from compounding is Rs 49,95,500. During 2019, 2020, and 2021, altogether 4,716, 3,713, and 2,996, cases were respectively booked for violations related to declaration, including Country of Origin by the State Governments, according to a PIB release.