They even flayed the government for acting meekly against the entrepreneurs who have been found producing and selling substandard, unhygienic and adulterated food commodities that can cause grave health hazards.[break]
Referring to the resumption of operations of Corner Taza Gudpak - a New Road-based sweets outlet -- by their proprietors even while the government has still sealed the outlet, they demanded the government to take stringent actions against its promoters. “Traders are not just cheating the consumers, but even are challenging the rule of law. We won´t tolerate it,” said lawmaker Jip Tshering Lama.
The committee also urged the government to speed up the ratification of the amended Consumers Rights Protection Act, which has been recently endorsed by the cabinet, from the parliament.
The new amendment provisions formation of consumer courts in all 14 zones of the country and entrusts quasi-judicial authority to the Department of Commerce and market inspection authorities in the districts. “It empowers the inspection offers to slap on the spot fines up to Rs 15,000 to the wrongdoers,” said Commerce and Supplies Secretary Purushottam Ojha.
The new Act also has a provision whereby entrepreneurs could be compelled to pay compensation to consumers in case their products created health hazards and other damages to the customers.
Responding to the lawmakers, senior officials at Department of Commerce and Department of Food Technology and Quality Control said they were soon revising their organizational structure and inducting additional officials to control market anomalies.
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