Consumer court planned in each district

Kathmandu, June 4

The government is preparing to set up a consumer court in each district of the country to look into cases related to consumer rights violation.

The amendment draft of Consumer Protection Act 2017 has envisioned the formation of such courts in all 75 districts, which different consumer rights activists have been demanding for many years.

However, the government is uncertain about passing the new Consumer Protection Act anytime soon as it has been delayed for long. Officials of the Ministry of Supplies (MoS) informed that the amendment draft of the act is currently at the Law Commission and will be sent to the Cabinet for endorsement as soon as the commission gives the final nod.

“We are optimistic that we will be able to send the draft of the Consumer Protection Act to the Cabinet soon. The new act will ensure that consumer rights are not violated and has also introduced provisions to curb the violation of consumer rights,” said Surya Shrestha, spokesperson for MoS. He also informed that the government will start the process to set up consumer courts in different districts as soon as the new act gets a nod from the government. Consumer rights activists had been demanding for such courts since many years citing that the offenders had been easily escaping without any government action due to the lengthy process of punishment as defined in the existing laws.

“Cases of violation of consumer rights have piled up since many years and offenders have been easily escaping. Dedicated courts to deal with consumer issues will certainly help control consumer rights violations,” Madhav Timalsina, president of Consumers’ Right Investigation Forum, said. However, he criticised the government for delaying the process to amend the Consumer Protection Act.