Consumer-forum rules that consumer cannot be asked to pay for shopping-bags: Consumer Affairs department should widely publicise through media-advertisements

It refers to a consumer-forum in Chandigarh imposing a total levy of rupees 9000 on a renowned shoe-company for charging rupees 3 as cost of paper-bag. Ever since a ban has been imposed on plastic-bags, many traders have started charging cost of paper-bags from the shoppers,

Department of Consumer Affairs should widely publicise through electronic and print media-advertisements to educate consumers that they must not pay for cost of shopping bags citing all the reasons given by Chandigarh consumer-forum in this regard.

Since shopper-bags are printed with name and logo of the company, it is advertisement and sale-promotion for which consumer cannot be compelled to pay. Moreover charging cost for shopping-bag is held as deficiency in service and traders or companies are duty-bound to supply free shopping-bags with purchased goods.

MADHU AGRAWAL