Bengal consumer cell to move Supreme Court

Kolkata, March 17 (IANS) The West Bengal government's consumer protection cell is approaching the Supreme Court over two Calcutta High Court (CHC) rulings, a state minister said on Tuesday.

State consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pande said the state's High Court had interfered in two rulings of the consumer protection cell that is out of the ambit of the court.

"The High Court cannot interfere in rulings of the consumer courts. However, there were two cases where judges from the department (consumer protection) were called by the High Court... we are approaching the Supreme Court sometime soon," he told IANS.

The minister questioned the feasibility of the consumer rights courts if the state's courts interfered in their rulings and affairs.

He said in the past one and a half month, the CHC had interfered in two cases filed in Howrah district and South 24 Parganas district overriding the rulings of the consumer court.

"There is no need of consumer courts if High Courts exercise their judgment in cases pertaining to consumer's rights," Pande argued.

He also said the Consumer Protection Act was undergoing amendments.

"It was introduced in 1986 and the Centre is amending it now. Soon it will be tabled in parliament for deliberation," he said.