<p><strong>Why in News?</strong><br />
A written reply by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri DanveRaosahebDadarao in Lok Sabha has been given regarding the same in Budget Session.<br />
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<p><strong>About Consumer Welfare Fund:</strong><br />
The government has set up the Consumer Welfare Fund (CWF) to promote and protect the welfare of the consumers, under the Central Goods and Services Tax(CGST) Act, 1917.<br />
It has worked successfully under the extant Consumer Welfare Fund(CWF) Guidelines, 2019 and achieved the objective for which it has been set up.<br />
The Government has not revised these guidelines, except during the Covid-19 period.<br />
The Government has taken the following other steps to promote and protect the welfare of the consumers by creating awareness and strengthening consumer movements in the country:<br />
1) A Pan-India consumer awareness campaign "JagoGrahakJago" through print, electronic, outdoor, and social media through various agencies/ organizations/ Ministries.<br />
2) Participation in various fairs/festivals/events to generate awareness among the consumers living in rural and backward areas of the country.<br />
3) Providing grant-in-aid to States/UTs to generate awareness in regional languages.<br />
4) Dissemination of consumer awareness messages through social media.<br />
5) Celebration of World Consumer Rights Day/National Consumer Day.<br />
6) Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Mobile Care App.<br />
7) The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (CP Act 2019) has been implemented w.e.f. 20th July 2020.<br />
8) The new Act covers e-commerce transactions, it allows electronic filing of complaints, hearing, and/or examining parties through video-conferencing for procedural ease and reduces inconvenience.<br />
9) Consumer awareness programs are organized through the network of BIS Offices across the country for promoting the concept of standardization, certification and quality consciousness among consumers as well as manufacturers.<br />
• BIS has a full-fledged department, namely the Complaints Management and Enforcement Department.</p>
<p><strong>Source: PIB</strong><br />
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