Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali reaffirmed the state government’s resolve to safeguard consumer rights.Representing Jammu & Kashmir State, Zulfkar was speaking at International Conference on Consumer Protection organized by Government of India in collaboration with United Nations.The Conference, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focused on empowering Consumers in New Markets and examined International, Regional and National “best practices” towards paving a way forward for enhancing the Consumer Protection in the changing Market scenario across the world.The Conference was attended by Union Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, C.R Chowdhary, Minister for Commerce Cambodia Government Pan Sorasak, Minister for Commerce and Industries in Afghanistan Humyoon Rasaw, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi, Senior Officials responsible for Consumer Protection from 24 Countries of South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia, the delegates from the Multi-lateral Agencies & International think tanks.
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali deliberated on the issues pertaining to Consumer Affairs in Jammu & Kashmir. He discussed the modalities for strengthening of Consumer Commission, Consumer Foras and other such issues with international repute experts on the subject.Thanking United Nations for showing concern on Consumer affairs, Zulfkar said that UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection (UNGCP) are valuable set of principles for setting out the main characteristics of effective consumer protection legislation, enforcement institutions and redress systems and for assisting interested Member States in formulating and enforcing domestic and regional laws, rules and regulations that are suitable to their economic and social and environmental circumstances. He said that the principles were first adopted by the General Assembly in 1985 and in light of it Government enacted Consumer Protection Act, 1986 and J&K State also enacted J&K Consumer Protection Act to safeguard the interests of the consumers.The Minister stressed on the need to respect the resolution on ‘Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices’ which was adopted at Seventh United Nations Conference held in Geneva.
The Minister said that main objectives of the Guidelines were included in the resolutions to assist countries in achieving or maintaining adequate protection for their population as consumers, facilitate production and distribution patterns responsive to the needs and desires of the consumers, encourage high levels of ethical conduct for those engaged in the protection and distribution of Goods and Services to the Consumers, assist countries in curbing abusive business practices by all enterprises at the national and international levels which adversely affects consumers, facilitate the development of independent consumer groups and to further international cooperation in the field of consumer protection.Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said that J&K will make no compromise on safeguarding Consumer Rights in and it was committed to enforce the laws in letter and spirit.Listing the steps taken in this regard, he said that government has taken major steps to strengthen State Consumer Protection Council and constituted District Consumer Forums to safeguard the interests of the Consumers in the state.