Plea in SC to declare consumers have 'right to know' about quality of products, details of sellers
New Delhi(PTI): A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to declare that consumers have a "right to know" about the quality, purity and certification of products, besides details of distributors and sellers for redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices.
It has also sought directions to the Centre and the states to ensure that every distributor, trader and shop owner displays 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.
The plea is slated to come up for hearing on July 21 before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
The petition filed by petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay said "right to know" was crucial for consumers to make informed choices and to protect themselves from unfair or restrictive trade practices and unscrupulous exploitation.
"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," said the plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey.
It said that 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.
"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," the plea said.
It said in essence, the right to know empowers consumers to be informed or protected and to make choices when engaging in sales, purchases and money transactions.
The plea has sought to direct and 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".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
West Bengal exit polls: People’s Pulse projects TMC lead, others predict BJP surge
Kolkata: Exit polls for the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 have shown different projections, with some surveys indicating a lead for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), while others suggest an advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to People’s Pulse, the TMC+ alliance is projected to win between 177 and 187 seats in the 294-member Assembly.
The BJP is estimated to secure between 95 and 110 seats, while the Left Front+ is predicted to win up to one seat. The Congress (INC) is likely to get between one and three seats, and others are projected to win between one and two seats.
Matrize projections indicate a different trend, with the BJP projected to win between 146 and 161 seats, crossing the majority mark of 148, with a vote share of 42.5 per cent. The TMC is estimated to win between 125 and 140 seats with a vote share of 40.8 per cent.
P-MARQ has also projected a BJP lead, estimating the party to win between 150 and 175 seats, while the TMC+ alliance is expected to secure between 118 and 138 seats. The same survey projects Congress to win between 2 and 6 seats.
Poll Diary estimates suggest the BJP may win between 142 and 171 seats, while the TMC could secure between 99 and 127 seats. Other parties are projected to win between 5 and 9 seats.
Chanakya Strategies has projected the BJP to win between 150 and 160 seats, while the TMC is estimated to get between 130 and 140 seats. Others are expected to secure between 6 and 10 seats, while Congress and Left are projected at zero.
ABP projections estimate the BJP to win between 146 and 161 seats, while the TMC is expected to secure between 125 and 140 seats. Others are projected to win between 6 and 10 seats.
Polls in the state were held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
