New Delhi, Oct 19 (KNN) Very soon services and products in the area of health, food etc. shall have to follow mandatory quality standards as New Bureau of Indian Standards Act has been enacted for this purpose and rules are being framed.

This was announced by Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affair, Food & Public Distribution while addressing Regional Editors’ Conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Precious metal like Gold and silvers shall have to wear hallmarking for the larger interests of consumers.

Paswan said his ministry is also working on new Consumer Protection Act which will have more teeth to protect the interests of consumers.

An authority has been proposed under the Act to take suo motto action if product and services are not up to the standard.

The Minister said charging over MRP is unfair trade practice and expressed hope that the new Consumer Protection Act will effectively check that.

Regarding misleading advertisements, Paswan said effective provisions have been proposed in the new Consumer Protection Act. The Act will enable people to file complains in Consumers Courts online from any place in the country and it will ensure time bound admission of their complaints in the courts.

Referring efforts being made by Government to check prices of essential commodities, especially pulses, Paswan said that incentives given to farmers will increase the availability of the produce soon.

He said that besides increasing MSP for the pulses, the Government agencies are making direct procurement of pulses from the farmers at market price for the buffer stocks of 20 lakh MT. The states are being provided pulses at subsidies rates from this stock, said the Minister.

Paswan asserted that consumer awareness is of paramount importance for safeguarding their interests, and appealed media to play an active role in this regard.