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The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) at Delhi University came into being on Consumer Rights Day yesterday with Shri Sharad Pawar, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution making the first call to the Helpline. With financial assistance from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the project provides toll free telephone no. (1600-11- 4000) where a citizen can call to seek information, advice or guidance for dealing with his day- to-day consumer problem.
Initially the Helpline intends to deal with cases relating to telecom, courier, banking, insurance, financial services etc. where the consumer is faced with problems of defective products or deficiency in services and unfair trade practices. The Helpline will be operated on a three-tier approach. At first the caller will be informed about his/her rights in a particular consumer problem and whom the aggrieved consumer should approach in the company/organization concerned. In case the problem remains unresolved the consumer would be directed to take up the matter with industry level bodies or chambers of commerce, industry regulators (as they exist in sectors like insurance and banking) or Government officials who are in charge of the relevant industrial sector. It is only as a last resort the consumer will be advised to take their case to consumer courts under the Consumer Protection Act. This Helpline is designed to promote avenues of out of court settlement of consumers' disputes and resultantly help reduce the burden on consumer courts. It is hoped that major consumer goods companies and service providers would cooperate to have consumer disputes resolved in a harmonious fashion.
SBK:CP:helpline16.3
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