SC notice to Centre, states on PIL  over 'right to know' of consumers

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and states to respond to a PIL seeking a declaration that consumers have the "right to know" about the quality, purity and certification of products.

A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta asked the respondents to file in four weeks their replies to the PIL which also sought details of distributors and sellers for redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices.

Filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, it has sought directions to the Centre and states to ensure that every distributor, trader and shop owner displayed details of registration, including name, address, phone number and number of employees at the entry gate in bold letters on a display board visible to people.

He has sought a direction to declare that "every consumer has 'right to know' not only about quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, manufacturing date, expiry date and BIS/FSSAI certification of good/products, but also about the details of the distributor/dealer/ trader/seller and shop owner, so as to seek redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation in spirit of sections 2(6), 2(9), 2(10) and 2(11) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019".

The PIL is likely to come up for hearing on July 21 before a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath Justice and Sandeep Mehta.

"Right to know helps consumers avoid falling prey to a fraudulent or deceptive distributor, dealer, trader, seller and shop owner, who might misrepresent a product/service or disappear after sale, purchase and money transaction," Upadhyay said, contending that the "right to know" was crucial for consumers to make informed choices and to protect themselves from unfair or restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation.

If a consumer has an issue with a product or service, knowing details about the distributor, dealer, and seller is essential for filing a complaint and seeking redressal through consumer redressal forums, he submitted.

"When a distributor, dealer, trader, seller and shop owner are transparent about their details, it fosters a fair and competitive market where consumers can make informed choices," he said, adding the right to know empowered consumers to be informed or protected and to make choices when engaging in sales, purchases and money transactions.