Supreme Court grants six weeks for states to respond on consumers' 'right to know' plea

The Supreme Court has given states and Union Territories six weeks to file their responses to a petition advocating for consumers' "right to know." The plea seeks to establish that consumers are entitled to information regarding the quality, purity, and certification of products, along with details about distributors and sellers.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the petition, which argues that the "right to know" is essential for consumers to make informed decisions and protect themselves from unfair trade practices and exploitation. The apex court had previously agreed to hear the plea in July of last year and requested responses from the central government, various states, and Union Territories.

During Wednesday's hearing, petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay informed the court that only a few states, including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Assam, and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, had submitted their responses. The bench then granted the remaining respondents six weeks to file their replies and scheduled the next hearing for three months later.

The petition, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, also requests a directive for the central and state governments to ensure that all distributors, traders, and shop owners display registration details. This information, including name, address, phone number, and employee count, should be prominently displayed at the entrance in bold letters.

According to the plea, knowing distributor and seller details is crucial for consumers to avoid falling victim to fraudulent practices or disappearing sellers. It emphasizes that this information is essential for filing complaints and seeking redressal through consumer forums when issues arise with products or services. The right to know, the plea asserts, empowers consumers to be informed, protected, and to make sound choices during transactions.

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We grant six weeks time to the respondents who have not filed responses to file the same...