Consumer Dialogue. A Quarterly e-newsletter. 12th Training of Trainers Programme for Heads and Members of VCOs/NGOs in Consumer Protection and Welfare

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1 Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA Sponsored by Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India Consumer Dialogue Vol. 10 A Quarterly e-newsletter No. 4 Two Day Workshop on Consumer Protection and Empowerment for Panchayati Raj Institutions The Two Day Workshop on Consumer Protection and Empowerment for Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rural Development Officials and Service Providers was organised by the Centre for Consumer Studies, on October 6-7, 2017 at Moradabad in collaboration with Regional Training Centre, Ghaziabad of SIRD Lucknow, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. The programme was sponsored by the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI. More than sixty four participants attended the programme which included members of October-December th Training of Trainers Programme for Heads and Members of VCOs/NGOs in Consumer Protection and Welfare A Training of Trainers Programme for the Heads and Members of NGOs / VCOs on Consumer Protection and Consumer Welfare was organized by the Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA from November 06-10, The Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI, sponsored the programme. Twenty Four participants from different States, representing various consumer organizations attended the programme. The objectives of the Training Programme were to enhance the knowledge and skill of participants in the area of Consumer Protection and Consumer Welfare; understand the need and importance of Consumer Protection and Welfare; acquaint with the national and international dimensions of Consumer Protection and the role of various stakeholders; explain the various provisions of the Consumer Protection Act and other legislations having a bearing on Consumer Protection; discuss the legal dimensions of Consumer Protection in different service sectors such as medical, telecom, housing etc; and develop training skills. Prof. Suresh Misra, Chair Professor, CCS, IIPA addressing participants PRIs, village and block level officials, school teachers, service providers, social workers, and Members of VCOs/ NGOs. The objective of the programme was to build the capacity of the people working at grass root level about consumer rights and Consumer Protection Act. The aim was to generate pool of local experts who can spread awareness in rural areas and at grass root level. The Programme was inaugurated by Prof Suresh Misra, Chair Professor & Coordinator, Centre for Consumer Studies. He said that we all are consumers. We consume a number of goods and services daily and get cheated. But we all are silent sufferers. The topic of consumer protection and empowerment deals with the life of the common man. Therefore, there is need to generate awareness among consumers as well as strengthen the system of justice under Consumer Protection Act to build consumer confidence in the system. During the programme there were discussions on a number of consumer issues. The programme was interactive in nature. The participants asked questions and interacted with the entire faculty during the two days workshop. Two Day Workshop on Consumer Protection and Empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions. 12th Training of Trainers Programme for Heads and Members of VCOs/NGOs in Consumer Protection and Welfare National Seminar on Consumer Protection and Welfare Three Day Workshop on Consumer Protection and Consumer Welfare 99th Orientation Training Programme for the Presidents and Members of the District Consumer Forums National Consumer Day 2017 Celebrations Participants of the Programme with Dr. T. Chatterjee, Director, IIPA and Participants making Group Presentations The Programme commenced with a briefing by the Programme Directors. Shri G N Sreekumaran, Former JS, DCA and Consultant, SCHKRMP, IIPA, while addressing the participants stressed that inspite of Consumer Protection Act in place for so many years the awareness level is quite low. He said consumer movement is people s movement and it has to be guarded and initiated by NGOs and for it to progress, a lot of responsibility is on consumer organisations. 48 Percent Indian Consumers Exposed to Online fraud, Says Report Finds Survey Have you been Charged GST Wrongly? Here's How to Complain Tax Fraud HUL, Dabur, Airtel, Amazon Pulled up by ASCI for Misleading Advertisements Cabinet Approves Consumer Protection Bill Credit Card use Jumps but Complaints Dip Self-regulation for Food Companies, Fast-Food Chains on Menu Insurance Claim Can't Be Denied Due To Delay in Filing It: Supreme Court Editorial Team Prof. Suresh Misra Dr. Sapna Chadah Dr. Mamta Pathania Research & Design Pankaj Kr.Singh Contact us : Centre for Consumer Studies Indian Institute of Public Administration, I.P Estate New Delhi Tel : , , ccs.iipa@gmail.com, Website : Centre for Consumer

2 Vol. 10 No. 4 Prof. Suresh Misra, Chair Professor and Coordinator, CCS, IIPA while addressing the participants said that for the betterment of the nation, the role of NGOs is quite instrumental as they serve as an independent source of information to the consumers and further inspire confidence in consumers to be enlightened consumers. National Seminar on Consumer Protection and Welfare The Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA, organized Two Days Seminar in collaboration with the Institute of Indian Language & Literature (Premchand Peeth), Aizawl, Mizoram on November 2017, at Aizawl Mizoram. Professor Dr. C.E. Jeeni, the President of the Institute of Indian Language and literature gave the Welcome Address. Mr. Lalsawth,Hon ble Minister of Law and Finance Department of Mizoram was the Chief Guest of the Seminar. He while addressing the participants highlighted the October-December 2017 The Inter - School Competition on Consumer Awareness The Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA in collaboration with the Gen X Consumer Club, the Air Force School, Subroto Park,New Delhi organized a one day inter- school Competition on Consumer Protection and Consumer Awareness on November 21, 2017 at the Air Force School, Subroto Park, New Delhi. The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, sponsored the programme. The Programme was inaugurated by Prof Kamlesh Misra, Vice Chancellor, Ansal University, Gurugram. The other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Dr. Mamta Pathania, Mr. Madhukar Maithani, Mr. Manish M. Bardoria, Dr. Sheetal Kapoor, Ms Apoorva Misra and Advocate CS Ashri. The competition included two major events: Creative Endeavors - Poster Making and Jagriti - Jingle Making. The vision behind this initiative was to build awareness about consumer rights and inculcate a positive consumerist culture in children, reinforcing the ethos of conservation and curbing wasteful practices. This event helped in generation of consumer awareness amongst many leading schools of Delhi. The objective of the competition was to create awareness among the students in the areas of consumer rights, duties & responsibilities of consumers and role of individuals as consumers in the society. It was an effort to make students understand the role and importance of Consumer Protection and motivate them to come forward to give an outreach to the consumer movement. The grand finale of the competition was the prize distribution ceremony. The prizes were distributed by the Mr. Lalsawth,Hon ble Minister of Law and Finance, Mizoram delivering the Inaugural Address importance of availability of quality goods and services to the consumers. He emphasized the safeguards provided by the government for consumer protection. He said that consumer Protection Act, 1986 provides for effective machinery to safeguard the interest of consumers and said that the Mizoram Government is well aware about the rights and duties of the consumers and is fully committed towards providing the consumers of the State with quality goods and services as per terms and conditions of the deal. Prof. Suresh Misra, Chair Professor and Coordinator, CCS, IIPA, New Delhi delivered the Key Note Address in the Seminar. On the concluding day, the Valedictory Address was delivered by Prof. Laltluangliana Khiangte, Head of the Department, Mizoram University. The main objective of the Seminar was to sensitize the participants about the developments taking place in the area of consumer welfare and the impact of globalization on the life of consumers, to help the consumers to understand the rights and duties; create awareness regarding the consumer protection and rights of the consumers and provide a platform to academicians, policy makers, NGOs and other stakeholders to deliberate on various issues related to globalization, market and the consumer. Around 70 participants attended the Seminar. Prizes are being Distributed by Dignitaries and Prof Kamlesh Misra, Vice Chancellor, Ansal University, Gurugram and other Dignitaries with the Participants Chief Guest, Prof. Kamlesh Misra, Ms. Amita Gupta, Principal TAFS and the esteemed judges. Trophies along with Merit Certificates were awarded to the winners of different events. The Overall Champions trophy was awarded to the Venkasteswar International School. Remaining participants were given Certificate of Participation. Every year an awareness calendar is printed with theselected posters from the competition, and is widely circulated in ministries, departments and to the trainee participants. 2

3 Three Day Workshop on Consumer Protection and Consumer Welfare The Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA, New Delhi in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh Human Resource Development Institute, Govt. f Andhra Pradesh organized athree Day Workshop on "Consumer Protection and Consumer Welfare" on December 11-13, The workshop was attended by over 77 delegates which included officials from various departments including Department of Consumer Affairs, Civil Supplies, Legal Metrology and Education; Panchayati Raj Officials; School teachers; Consumer Activists and Members of VCOs/ NGOs. The objective of the workshop was to generate awareness on consumer issues and Consumer Protection Act. The workshop was divided into a number of thematic sessions wherein input on consumer issues was provided. The Programme was inaugurated by Dr. A. S. Ramasastri, Director, IDRBT. Speaking on the Banking and Financial Services he said that there is need for consumer centric service. A close look at the service sector with banking in the 99 th Orientation Training Programme for the Presidents and Members of the District Consumer Forums The Ninety-Ninth Orientation Training Programme for the Presidents and Members of the District Consumer Forums was organised by the Centre for Consumer Studies, IIPA from December 18-22, The programme was sponsored by the Department of Consumer Affairs, GoI. Twenty three Presidents and Members of the District Forums from Bihar attended the programme. The objective of the programme was to build the capacity of the Presidents and Members of the District Forums to enable the redressal mechanism function effectively. Participants of the Programme with Hon ble Mr. Justice V.B Gupta, Former Member of NCDRC Dr. A.S. Ramasastri Addressing participants and Prof. Suresh Misra Presenting Memento to the Dr. Chakrapani, DG, HRDI, Andhra Pradesh background indicates that technology is useful but it also brings problems. Therefore, the consequences and working of technology need to be understood. Further the system must ensure quick and speedy resolution of grievances. In the Institutional ecosystem of the banks there is multi-layer redressal system. Under the RBI Ombudsman scheme, ombudsman has been appointed in every state which is an autonomous body for redressal of grievances. The Department for Consumer Education and Protection of RBI takes up awareness and education programmes about various finance schemes, ombudsman etc. The Banking Codes and Standards ensure that the customers rights are adequately protected. Consumer convenience should be the motto of traders and service providers. In this the Role of Technology cannot be denied. Though by use of technology the consumer is getting convenience and cost reduction; however, at the same time if something goes wrong it is very difficult to get redressal and it takes very long time. This aspect needs to be looked into. Prof. Suresh Misra, Chair-Professor & Coordinator, CCS, in his Address said that the problems related to consumers are multiplying and with consumers becoming more active better safety and protection measures are required. The globalization has both positive and negative impacts. The introduction of technology has made our life easier but at the same time posed many new challenges to deal with. Now the consumer can shop anytime, anywhere by click of a button. But it has subjected the consumer to threats of data theft, cyber crimes, etc. Many of these issues are The programme was inaugurated by Hon ble Mr. Justice V.B. Gupta, Former Member, NCDRC. Addressing the participants he said that the redressal machinery has been provided to compensate the consumer for the genuine loss suffered by him in a simple, easy and quick manner. The compensation has to be reasonable and not for enrichment of consumers. Endeavour should be made to give quick, time bound redressal to consumers following the summary procedure. The quasi-judicial machinery is having a good record in dispute resolution inspite of many problems. The problem with all of us is that we don t want to complaint. We all are silent sufferers. People must lodge complaint and fight for their rights. Consumer Protection Act enacted in 1986 has become 31 years old and lakhs of cases have been filed. The people who approached the foras have got relief. Even others have also been benefitted by the judgments of the Consumer Foras. The programme was divided into a number of thematic sessions wherein inputs on a number of subjects having bearing on the working of the District Forums were discussed. The programme was participatory in nature involving presentations from the participants. The participants also attended the National Consumer Day Celebration on Emerging Digital Markets: Issues and Challenge for the Consumers on December 21, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan. National Consumer Day Celebrations 2017 The Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Government of India celebrated the National Consumer Day 2017 with the theme Emerging Digital Markets: Issues & Challenges for Consumer Protection on 21st December, 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. 3

4 The Programme was inaugurated by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Hon ble Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Shri Paswan said that the enactment of BIS Act, 2016 and introduction of Consumer Protection Bill are historical events in the history of consumer movement. The Union Minister further stated that exiting Consumer Protection Act enacted in 1986 is 31 years old. Meanwhile, the whole market scenario has changed. No one imagined that smart phones will become a complete world in itself and the future of the digital world in the next 25 years is also not predictable. He mentioned that Government has embarked on modernizing the legislation on consumer protection to keep pace with the changes in markets to ensure fair, equitable and consistent outcomes for consumers; and to enable swift executive intervention in the nature of the class action to prevent consumer detriment. He commented that this is the age of technology, and educating the consumer and redressing his grievances in the digital world is important. He also stated that digital literacy and financial literacy should go hand in hand so that in a cashless economy envisioned by the government, consumers are capable enough to use digital payments system and confidently use various financial products. Shri C.R Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said that trade and business now have become global. This necessitates the systematic development of consumer policies, in our country with comprehensive legislation and effective enforcement, just redress mechanisms and targeted programmes. We are here not only to protect consumers but also to empower them. There is need to educate consumers to be vigilant while making purchases in the digital market or making digital payments. The next step is to provide an adequate mechanism for grievance redressal. Further, alternate dispute redressal through National Consumer Helpline and mediation are being encouraged. Three important steps have been taken by Department of Consumer Affairs to protect consumers in the online world: the amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 have been made making it mandatory that goods displayed by the seller on e-commerce platform shall contain declarations required under the Rules. Main e-commerce companies have been brought to convergence platform. Standing Committee on the new Consumer Protection Bill has recommended formulating rules on e-commerce. The event saw the launch of on Crowd sourcing of Price data, Zonal helplines and Cooperation with Meity for digital payment grievances as new initiatives of the Department on consumer grievance redressal. On the occasion, three publications on digital market and other consumer issues were also released. 48% Indian Consumers Exposed to Online fraud, Says Report A report on digital fraud in Asia has said that Indians are the most susceptible to online scams with 48 percent of consumers directly or indirectly having experienced retail fraud. The Asia Pacific Fraud Insights Hon ble Union Minister Shri Ram Vilas Paswan releasing publications of CCS during the National Consumer Day Justice D K Jain, President, NCDRC in his address mentioned that during this year there has been 139 percent increase in the cases filed before NCDRC which indicates an increase in the level of awareness among consumers and increasing popularity of consumers fora. The Consumer Fora are able to give relief not only in the purchases made in the offline world but also cases wherein the consumers have been cheated in Cyber Space. The New Act will further strengthen the mechanism and the consumers will be better protected in the online environment. Shri Avinash K.Srivastava, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs said that the Department has been keeping abreast of the latest challenges to consumer protection and has been devising various strategies to protect consumers from exploitation. Report 2017 by credit information company Experian has analysed fraud trends across 10 countries in Asia Pacific. In India, there is a prevalence of identity theft and other fraud in relation to sectors such as financial services (including insurance), retail and telecommunications. One of the biggest frauds in the financial sector is falsification of identity with many cases of duplicate income tax PAN cards. Incorrect employment information and false income documents are two of the most frequent frauds committed in India (40 per cent combined). The report has looked at how various governments are looking at tackling frauds through a centralised national ID. According to Experian, a national ID is a double-edged sword because, if breached, it can result in increased fraud cases. "As such, it is important to understand how national IDs can be enhanced to counter fraud based on the state of usage and accountability for each country," the report said. In Philippines, the government hopes to introduce a biometric-enabled national ID within two years of approval. In Singapore, the government is conducting trials of a digital ID where it will include APIs for businesses to interface with. In Australia, there are renewed discussions of a national ID due to threat of terrorism. "India's Aadhar is the most assertive government initiative in this space in Asia. However, it has faced a number of challenges including a court battle around privacy regulation," the report said. 4

5 Have you been Charged GST Wrongly? Here's How to Complain Tax Fraud HUL, Dabur, Airtel, Amazon Pulled up by ASCI for Misleading Advertisements Country is full fledged into the new GST regime, and already there are scores of people trying to trick the system, and make consumers clueless. According to GST Helpline India, the most common types of fraud currently are collecting tax on products/services that are GST-free, charging GST over and above the defined rate and fraudsters posing as GST officers. For instance, consumers have complained about shopkeepers and dealers charging additional rates in the name of GST on daily need items like mineral water, grains, milk, vegetables, eggs that are on the exemption list. Then, some businesses are illegally levying GST in addition to the already applied VAT tax on their service bills. Earlier this month, the GST Council slashed the GST rate on restaurants to a uniform 5 per cent from over 12 per cent earlier, but many restaurants reportedly continue to overcharge diners. And now the government is reportedly coming down hard on FMCG companies that have failed to pass on benefits of lower taxation to consumers. So if you have been a victim of any of the above, what should you do? To begin with, shake off the average Indian predisposition to stay mum and suffer in silence. There are various, simple options to raise a complaint that you can choose from. Log into the official portal - Simply visit click on CBEC Mitra Helpdesk in the bottom right corner of the page and then choose "Raise Web Ticket". On the new window that opens, click on the option to "Report Tax Fraud/Avoidance" and fill in the details required. In the "report" box, make your complaint and don't forget details such as the name and address of the shop/restaurant/organisation that cheated you. On receiving your online complaint, a representative will first contact the restaurant to check the details with them and then revert to you with the next steps if not a redressal. Send an - A slower alternative is to your grievance to either cbecmitra.helpdesk@icegate.gov.in. Although you don't have to attach bills along with the mail, media reports suggest it's better to keep the pre-gst bill handy. Tweet your angst - You can also flag your complaints on the official Twitter handles of GST (askgst_goi) and the Finance Ministry (@FinMinIndia) Call Toll Free Number The CBEC-GST website mentions a toll-free number ( ), where the customers can call and make complaint. Also, since prevention is better than cure, you can install the government's GST Rate Finder app on your phone as a handy reference to avoid getting conned. Advertising watchdog ASCI upheld complaints against 114 misleading ads including those pertaining to Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Bharti Airtel, Amazon and Dabur India. The Customer Complaints Council (CCC) of the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) received 193 complaints. It upheld 51 complaints from the healthcare category, 31 (education), 17 (food and beverages), followed by 5 (personal care) and 10 from other categories. The CCC pulled up HUL for its Dove Hair fall Shampoo ad saying the advertisement s visuals showing lesser hair fall for Dove were misleading by exaggeration. The company was also marked for its Fair and Lovely anti-marks treatment advertisement, which claimed 100 per cent marks reduction. The watchdog said one of the pre-requisites of the study is that the subjects are required to avoid exposure to the sun more than 30 minutes. In absence of such disclaimer, the advertisement was considered to be misleading by omission, the ASCI said, adding that the disclaimers are not clearly legible and not in compliance with the ASCI guidelines for disclaimers. For Bharti Airtel s advertisement claim of its 244 tariff that said unlimited local plus STD Airtel call +1GB/day 4G/3G/2G for 70 days (On 4G HS + 4G SIM), the ASCI said the advertisement was misleading by ambiguity and exaggeration as Airtel did not clarify if the said benefit claimed is indeed unlimited for local and STD or capped at a particular limit. The advertisement contravened the ASCI Guidelines for Disclaimers, it added. Amazon was also pulled up for its parachute advanced coconut hair oil communication claiming that the MRP of the product is 149 and is offered at a discounted price of 142. The advertisement offering the product at the discounted price of 142, when the actual MRP of the product is 135, distorts facts and is therefore misleading consumers as to the actual discount being offered, the watchdog said. For Dabur India s advertisement of its Odomos claiming yani machoro se best protection and is liye na machine se, na coil se, best protection sirf Dabur Odomos se, the ASCI held that it was not substantiated and misleading by exaggeration. Cabinet Approves Consumer Protection Bill Focused on faster redressal of consumer grievances and to ensure stringent action against unfair trade practices, the Cabinet approved the introduction of the Consumer Protection Bill, 2017, to amend the Consumer Protection Act, The Bill seeks to enlarge the scope of the existing Act and proposes stricter actions against misleading advertisements and food adulteration. The amended Act will provide for the setting up of a Central Consumer Protection Authority. Consumer empowerment is one of the main components of the new Act. Misleading advertisements will be tackled even more strictly. The new law will also provide for proper definition and scope for e-commerce, and the rules regulating the sector. 5

6 Credit Card use Jumps but Complaints Dip Despite a sharp jump in the number of credit cards in use, complaints regarding credit cards have dropped significantly. According to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), credit card-related complaints dropped over 5 percent despite a 27 percent jump in customer complaints in the overall banking sector. According to the annual report of the banking ombudsman an institution which adjudicates on consumer complaints there is a decline in the number of credit card-related complaints as well as their percentage share of these complaints. In FY16, the ombudsman received 8,740 credit card complaints, which accounted for 8.5 percent of total banking complaints. In FY17, t h e n u m b e r dropped to 8,297, or 6.5 percent of the total sector's complaint. This was despite the number of credit cards rising from 2.4 crore to 2.9 crore during the same period. Bankers say that the number of complaints has dropped because of digitisation and measures to promote electronic bill payments. Also, security features have been improved. However, while credit card complaints have fallen, there is a perceptible rise in the number of ATM /debit card-related complaints, which increased by 12.5 percent during the year under review. Out of a total of 24,731 card-related complaints, 16,434 complaints pertained to ATM/debit cards (12.5 percent of total complaints and accounted for the second highest number of complaints. Total complaints stood at 1.30 lakh. Non-dispensation/short dispensation of cash in ATM withdrawals was the major cause of complaints under this category. Complaints related to credit cards constituted 6.4 percent of total complaints received during Pension-related complaints constituted 6.5 percent of the total complaints. Delayed payment, errors in calculations, difficulties in converting the pension to family pension on demise of pensioner, non-cooperation of staff, etc, were the areas of grievance under this category. Other complaints included 'levy of charges without prior notice' (5.5 percent of total). These included levying charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance, processing fees, pre-payment penalties, and cheque collection charges. Self-regulation for Food Companies, Fast-Food Chains on Menu The government will establish a self-regulation platform for food companies, retailers stocking packaged food and fast food restaurant chains, said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The move will help benchmark them against the best in class, thus raising standards and making companies mindful of rules and consumers. Companies such as Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo, Nestle, Parle Products, Danone, ITC, Patanjali and Mondelez, retailers like Walmart and Future Group, Aditya Birla Retail and, Spencer's Retail and quick service restaurant (QSR) chains including KFC and McDonald's will be put on an equal self-compliance footing under the plan. This will encourage healthy competition among companies, retailers and QSR chains and will be an open platform for consumers to see for themselves. The companies will be ranked on basis of their declarations and the platform will also mention names of companies which haven't shared the required information. FSSAI's "food safety and shared responsibility" score will be a publicly accessible online platform for companies to rate themselves against parameters such as compliance with regulations, nutritive content, dealing with consumer grievances, upstream and downstream supply chain capacity and promoting food safety in schools. It's been dubbed ReFoc for responsible food companies score. By engagement, sharing, cross-learning and healthy competition, FSSAI wants to raise the bar not only for food safety but make foods businesses more responsive to consumers and government regulation. Insurance Claim Can't Be Denied Due To Delay in Filing It: Supreme Court Insurance claims cannot be rejected if the reason for delay in filing it is satisfactorily explained, the Supreme Court said while granting relief to a man who was denied the claim for his stolen vehicle. A bench of Justices RK Agrawal and S Abdul Nazeer said that rejection of the claims on purely technical grounds in a mechanical manner will result in the "loss of confidence of policy-holders in insurance industry". The observations came as the bench allowed the appeal of a man against the ruling of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) that insurance firms could deny the claim benefit for delay in filing it. The top court directed Reliance General Insurance Company to pay Rs lakh to the Hisar-based customer whose insured truck was stolen but his claim was rejected on the grounds of delay in filing it. "If the reason for delay in making a claim is satisfactorily explained, such a claim cannot be rejected on the ground of delay. It is also necessary to state here that it would not be fair and reasonable to reject genuine claims which had already been verified and found to be correct by the Investigator," the bench said. The top court said that the Consumer Protection Act aims at providing better protection of the interest of consumers. "It is a beneficial legislation that deserves liberal construction. This laudable object should not be forgotten while considering the claims made under the Act," it said. 6