The NDA government plans to set up an independent consumer protection authority with wide powers to give relief to consumers.

Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan, who was in Patna on Sunday, said: “The Union government is to set up an independent authority having powers to frame consumer policies for protecting the rights of consumers and also addressing their grievances.”

The independent authority would be different from district-, state- and national-level consumer forums and for this, there would be amendment in the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The minister claimed that with the setting up of the authority, consumer rights would be protected and the bill pertaining to the constitution of authority after getting nod from the Union cabinet would be tabled in ongoing winter session of Parliament.

Some of the areas to be covered in the new authority are e-commerce, real estate, tall claims made by advertising or misleading ads among others. Paswan said: “The real estate business in booming all over the country, with middle class people coming up to buy houses. If a buyer fails to pay one or two of his house instalments, the bank imposes fine on the buyer, but on other hand, no action is initiated against the builder even if he misses the deadline (time) of handing over the flat to his buyer.”

In such cases, the buyer (consumer) can approach the authority with his plea and depending upon the case, action would be initiated against such builders.

Nanhey Kumar, a city-based builder, said: “Such provisions already exist in the consumer protection act, but the government giving more stress on such issue would bring transparency in the real estate business, as builders would have to complete their projects on time.”

The other feature of the authority would be the consumer would be given more rights in cases of misleading ads. Many cosmetic agencies show misleading ads to lure consumers. If the consumers feel unsatisfied with the products, they can approach the authority.

Paswan attacked former chief minister Nitish Kumar for misleading campaign on the issue of bonus to farmers. Paswan said: “The Centre has never banned payment of bonus to farmers in Bihar. But Nitish is misleading the people on the issue.” During Sampark Yatra at Punpun on Saturday, Nitish had attacked the Union food and consumer protection department for banning extra payment to farmers as bonus of Rs 300 to farmers on paddy procurement.