Consumer court in the offing

KATHMANDU, Sept 24: To make the ongoing market inspection more effective and ensure continuity, the government is making final preparationd to set up a consumer court for the first time in the country.



The Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) has already prepared a draft defining the scope, jurisdiction, role and responsibilities of the court. [break]



Minister for Law and Justice Brijesh Kumar Gupta said on Friday that the government will amend the Consumer Protection Act-2054 BS for setting up consumer court.



"I will expedite the process of setting up consumer court without delay," he said at a function at the Ministry of Law, adding, "I will make special efforts to bring the amendment process before the house and play crucial role to get the Act amended at the earliest."



According to the provisions incorporated in the draft, the court will be similar to a tribunal and will comprise three members. A district court judge or someone eligible to become a district court judge will head the court while a gazetted second class officer and a consumer expert will also share the bench of the court.



"The consumer court will try cases involving all disputes and claims relating to consumption of goods and services," said Phanindra Gautam, the under secretary at the Ministry of Law and Justice who is actively involved in formulating the draft.



The government is mulling over setting up consumer courts across the country. "Consumer court has become a must at present," said prominent consumer rights advocate Jyoti Baniya, adding, "It is already late and the government must establish such court within a month so that the ongoing market inspection drive can be more effective and frutiful." Baniya, who is also a lawyer, was also present at the function at the law ministry Friday.



The newly drawn-up provisions in the draft were widely discussed at the function. The government at present has been aggressively inspecting the market and has seized tainted food, sweets, dairy products, substandard medicines and sealed a number of factories, shops and cooking gas bottling plants.



Once a consumer court is established, the court can slap jail terms up to 14 years and fine up to one million rupees on those found guilty of producing, selling and supplying sub-standard goods, commodities and services.

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