CCPA issues notices for surrogate ads to Kamla Pasand, Rajnigandha

Central consumer protection authority (CCPA) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution has issued 140 notices so far. 49 notices have been issued for unfair trade practices, 8 for violation of consumer rights and 83 for misleading advertisements.

According to the sources, the authority has sent notices for surrogate advertising to brands of various products including Kamla Pasand, Vimal pan masala, Rajnigandha, Seagram’s imperial blue(alcoholic beverage), Sterling Reserve(alcoholic beverage) etc.

The ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory on October 3 to all private satellite channels to refrain from broadcasting misleading ads.

“The department has not only written to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) but also to district magistrates in states and UTs to notify all the regional officers for conducting raids and to increase market surveillance,” said the sources.

One of the source said that CCPA is also coordinating with other sectors and regulators like Insurance Regulatory and Development Council of India (IRDAI) regarding health insurance, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation regarding Dettol, Lizol, Emami, Lifebuoy and Sensodyne, Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India ( FSSAI) to boost milk supplements, BIS for the sale of pressure cooker without ISI marks.

The ministry has also increased the number of price monitoring centres from 175 to 283. By march, all districts will have at least one price monitoring centre across India for a more accurate understanding of patterns of prices.

Also, the department of Consumers affairs is going to hold a national lok adalat on November 12 across the country to dispose off pending cases with the consumer commission through settlement.

“ These cases will be settled amicably only on the agreement between both the parties. Thereafter, the cases will be brought to the national lok adalat,” said the official.

National Lok Adalats are held at regular intervals where on a single day Lok Adalats are held throughout the country, in all the courts right from the Supreme Court to the District level wherein cases are disposed of in huge numbers.

The official said that as of September, pending cases all over the country stood at 6,07,996 and that has come down to 5,67,463 now. Momentum of disposing off the cases is picking up.

“After the success of National lok adalat, in November, the department will come up with a separate maha lok adalat by December and thereafter, it will be institutionalised in each district and state consumer commission to ensure that cases do not remain pending for a long time,” said another official.

All consumer commissions have been requested to identify the cases for settlement and refer to the lok adalat. The department has already sent 4,91,665 SMS, 86,894 emails have been sent and so far 2,910 people have given their consent.