Union Consumer Affairs Ministry is irresponsible ministry at the center doing nothing to protect rights of consumers and safeguarding interests of consumers against malpractices of providers of goods or services. The ministry-officials swiftly swung in to action when its Minister became victim of waxed apples, but simply issued advisory Guidelines No. J-24-9-2014-CPU(pt.) dated 21.04.2017 to customers going to restaurants to resist levying of service-charge without realizing that people visit restaurants for relaxed dining and not to burden their minds by entering in arguments to resist levying service-charge. If such would have been an isolated case with the Minister, ministry-officials would have issued much-desired order against levying service-charge in bills of hotels and restaurants.
Web-portal Jago-Grahak-Jago on website of the Ministry does practically nothing rather than acting like a post-office to deliver eye-wash replies from companies or firms against whom complaints are lodged. A lady-official of the ministry calling from telephone-number 23761699 on 12.12.2018 at 10.55 am for more than 12 minutes (voice-recording with me) strongly advocated for GoAir on my complaint dated 01.11.2018 for non-supply of desired pre-paid food listed on its menu-card, justifying that the private airliner did so according to its rules about which I must have been aware in advance. I was advised to approach Consumer Court if I was agitated, thus establishing bitter fact of total non-utility of much publicised Jago-Grahak-Jago portal. Experience reveals that Jago-Grahak-Jago has been totally useless in other complaints lodged on the portal.
Probe should be in working of the Ministry if corrupt practices shield providers of goods and services from malpractices. Ministry should issue strict orders with stringent warning to hotels and restaurants against levying of service-charge on their bills. Feedback should be taken and feedback-data made public from those having lodged complaints on Jago-Grahak-Jago.
SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL