Kolkata, Sept. 1 -- Reiterating his government's zero-tolerance policy towards food adulteration, flat-related fraud and manipulation of weighing scales, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday warned against corrupt trade practices and said steps were being taken to strengthen consumer protection in Bengal.
Inaugurating a Consumer Protection Week programme at Hogg Market in central Kolkata, Adhikari said the government was monitoring the prices of essential commodities, particularly sugar, which had risen sharply over the past month. Enforcement Branch officials have been visiting markets in Kolkata and other cities to check prices and curb unfair trade practices. He said sugar prices had shown a marginal decline following the government's intervention.
Adhikari said action was also being taken against food adulteration and the use of non-food-grade colours in consumables and sweets. He urged traders to conduct their businesses transparently and alleged that the previous government had allowed unfair practices to flourish.
Calling consumer affairs a neglected department, Adhikari said corrupt practices had become "institutionalised", leaving both buyers and sellers vulnerable to exploitation.
He said consumers were being cheated in transactions ranging from fish and vegetables to residential flats.
The chief minister cited the arrest of around 120 people in Salt Lake about 10 days ago for allegedly duping people through fake food-delivery calls while posing as representatives of well-known brands.
He also flagged widespread complaints of fraud in the purchase and sale of flats. Adhikari said several such complaints were reaching his weekly Janata Darbar, with people allegedly being lured by fake advertisements and made to pay advances for flats that did not materialise.
He announced measures to strengthen the Consumer Affairs Department, including additional budgetary support, recruitment, modern equipment for quality and measurement testing, and greater coordination with the Enforcement Branch and Anti-Corruption Branch to enforce the state's consumer protection law.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.