SUGAR INDUSTRY
- Sugar industry is an agro-based industry that impacts rural livelihood of 50 million sugarcane farmers and around 5 lakh workers directly employed in sugar mills.
- India is the second largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil and is also the largest consumer.
- There were 700 installed sugar factories in the country as on 31st March, 2014, with sufficient crushing capacity to produce around 310 lakh MT of sugar.
- Sugar production in the country has been cyclic in nature. Every 2-3 years of high sugar production are followed by 2-3 years of low production.
MAIN EDIBLE OILS
- There are two sources of oils – primary source and secondary source.
- The primary sources are 9 principal oilseeds, groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, soyabean, sunflower, sesame, niger, safflower, castor and linseed.
- Edible oils obtained through secondary sources include coconut, cottonseed, rice bran and oilseed cakes.
CONSUMERS AFFAIRS ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES ACT, 1955
- The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was enacted to ensure the easy availability of essential commodities to consumers and to protect them from exploitation by unscrupulous traders.
- The Act provides for the regulation and control of production, distribution and pricing of commodities which are declared as essential for maintaining or increasing supplies or for securing their equitable distribution and availability at fair prices.
- The enforcement / implementation of the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 lies with the State Governments and UT Administrations.
- The commodities declared as ‘essential’ under the Act, are received from time to time.
- The number of such commodities has been brought down to 7 at present through periodic reviews to facilitate free trade and Commerce.
CONSUMER PRODUCTION
- The Department of Consumer Affairs is entrusted with the administration of the Consumer Protection Act.
- The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 was enacted to better protect the interests of consumers by establishing 3-tier quasi—judicial consumer dispute redressal machinery, popularly called Consumer Fora at the national, state and district levels for settlement of consumer disputes.
- The State of Jammu & Kashmir has enacted its own legislation in this field.
- The Act also provides for a Central Consumer Protection Council, which is an advisory body making recommendations to the Department of Consumer Affairs on protection of Consumer’s rights.
- The Act provides for Consumer Protection Council at state and district level as well.
- The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, at the head of the three tier redressal machinery, is headed by a President, who is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court.
- There are 11 posts of Members at present in National Commission.
CONSUMER WELFARE FUND
- The Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944 was amended in 1991 to enable the Central Government to create a Consumer Welfare Fund where the money not refundable to the manufacturers, etc. is credited.
- Consumer Welfare Fund was created in 1992 with the objective of providing financial assistance to promote and protect the welfare of the consumer.
- The Department of Consumer Affairs operates the Fund, setup by the Department of Revenue under the Central Excise and Salt Act, 1944.
- Any agency engaged in consumer welfare activities for a period of three years and registered under law are eligible for seeking financial assistance from the Fund.
