#News #Latest #trending #india
Raipur : Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Dayaldas Baghel inaugurated a two-day workshop organized on the subject of consumer protection. National Consumer Commission Chairman Justice A.P. attended the workshop. Chairman of Sahi, Chhattisgarh State Consumer Redressal Commission, Justice Gautam Chouradia, Secretary of Food Department, Reena Baba Saheb Kangale, representatives of eight states including Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and other members were present.
National Consumer Commission Chairman Justice A.P. Praising the initiative of Chhattisgarh government in the workshop, Sahi said that the state government is taking concrete steps towards technical and legal reforms with the aim of protecting consumer rights and ensuring speedy justice. In this sequence, a workshop is being organized for awareness and training in technical aspects. In the workshop, detailed discussions were held on technology, digital systems, procedural reforms and legislative amendments.
During this, information was given about the expansion of e-systems and the use of artificial intelligence. Emphasis was laid on effective use of digital facilities like e-Awareness, e-Filing and e-Hearing. Through these arrangements, consumers are getting the facility to lodge complaints and participate in hearings sitting at home. The possibilities of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make consumer justice affordable, transparent and expeditious were also discussed.
During the discussion with the journalists, the officials clarified important topics like the process of complaint acceptance, economic and territorial jurisdiction of the Consumer Commission, time limit for submitting complaint and counter claim. During this, it was also told that if the defendant party does not submit written statement within the stipulated period of 30 days or maximum additional period of 15 days (total 45 days), then the consideration of his evidence may be limited. The opportunity for the defendant to cross-examine the complainant’s witnesses and its limits were also discussed.
The officials and judges discussed the growing challenges on e-commerce platforms, including deceptive design techniques such as dark patterns and issues of false and misleading advertisements. The need to reform the existing structure for speedy resolution of jurisdictional disputes and technical complexities was stressed. Information regarding practical difficulties and systemic delays for prompt and effective disposal of execution applications was given.
Emphasis was also laid on bringing procedural uniformity across all consumer commissions, adopting standardized rules and guidelines and streamlining case management. Consumer Protection Commission officials said that this initiative of Chhattisgarh government is an important step towards providing quick, transparent and accessible justice to the consumers.