Lok Sabha Question No. 327 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-18
Subject: e-Commerce Market
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: DHARAM VIRA GANDHI, ANTO  ANTONY

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 327

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2017

## E-COMMERCE MARKET

## 327. SHRI DHARAM VIRA: SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

## Will  the  Minister  of  CONSUMER  AFFAIRS,  FOOD  AND  PUBLIC  DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is implementing a project called, the 'National Consumer Helpline (NCH)' for the immediate disposal of the complaints of the consumers and if so, the details including the salient features thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any record regarding the number of complaints received and disposed through the NCH during the last five months, if so, the details thereof, State and month-wise;
- (c) whether it is a fact that overwhelming majority of consumer complaints registered during this period was  related  to  e-commerce  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  steps  being  taken  by  the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether the e-commerce market is growing in the country at the desirable rate and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether instances of irregularities in the functioning of e-commerce have come to the notice of the Government,  if  so,  the  details  of  the  remedial  action  taken  by  the  Government  to  remove  such irregularities?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- th
- (a) : Yes,  Madam.  National  Consumer  Helpline  (NCH)  was  established  on  15 March  2005.    The Helpline can be contacted by consumers pan India on the toll-free number 1800-11-4000, short code 14404, sms +91-8130009809, website www.consumerhelpline.gov.in, Consumer App, e-mail, letters, walk-ins and fax. The National Consumer Helpline, besides taking up the consumer grievances with the companies/regulatory bodies concerned,  guides the consumers in finding solutions to problems related to products  & services,  provides  information  related  to  companies  and  regulatory  authorities,  facilitates consumers in filing complaints against defaulting service providers, empowers consumers to use available Consumer Grievances Redressal Mechanisms and educates Consumers about their rights and responsibilities.
- (b) : The number of complaints received through the NCH & disposed of during the last five months is given in Annexure .
- (c) : During  the  period  February  to  June  2017,  NCH  registered  30,587  complaints  pertaining  to  ecommerce, which is the highest number of complaints in a sector, contributing to 17% of total complaints registered in the period i.e. 1,80,920.
- (d) : No, Madam. No such statistics are available to indicate whether e-commerce market is growing at a desirable rate.
- (e) : Complaints regarding e-commerce maintained by National Consumer Helpline indicate irregularities in the functioning of e-commerce. On receipt of complaints, NCH refers the complaints to the companies for redressal. In some cases, consumers are advised to file complaints in the Consumer Forum for redressal.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.327 FOR 18.07.2017 REGARDING E-COMMERCE MARKET.

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The detail of complaints registered at NCH during the period February 2017 to June 2017 month wise as under:

| Month wise calls received   | Month wise calls received   |                     |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------|
| Month                       | Complaints Made             | Complaints Disposed |
| Feb 2017                    | 29977                       | 24379               |
| Mar 2017                    | 38468                       | 31520               |
| Apr 2017                    | 36277                       | 30032               |
| May 2017                    | 40030                       | 31939               |
| June 2017                   | 36168                       | 23167               |
| Total                       | 1,80,920                    | 1,41,037            |

The number of complaints registered at NCH during the period February 2017 to June 2017 state wise as under:

| State wise Calls - February to June 2017   | State wise Calls - February to June 2017   | State wise Calls - February to June 2017   |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Sr.No.                                     | State                                      | Total calls                                |
| 1                                          | Maharashtra                                | 24838                                      |
| 2                                          | Uttar Pradesh                              | 24667                                      |
| 3                                          | Delhi                                      | 23196                                      |
| 5                                          | Rajasthan                                  | 11872                                      |
| 4                                          | Madhya Pradesh                             | 11363                                      |
| 6                                          | West Bengal                                | 11845                                      |
| 8                                          | Karnataka                                  | 10915                                      |
| 7                                          | Gujarat                                    | 10353                                      |
| 9                                          | Haryana                                    | 9904                                       |
| 10                                         | Bihar                                      | 7478                                       |
| 11                                         | Tamil Nadu                                 | 4873                                       |
| 12                                         | Telangana                                  | 4700                                       |
| 13                                         | Punjab                                     | 4440                                       |
| 14                                         | Jharkhand                                  | 2887                                       |
| 16                                         | Odisha                                     | 2746                                       |
| 15                                         | Chhattisgarh                               | 2555                                       |
| 17                                         | Andhra Pradesh                             | 2144                                       |
| 18                                         | Uttrakhand                                 | 1972                                       |
| 19                                         | Kerala                                     | 1888                                       |
| 20                                         | Assam                                      | 1682                                       |
| 21                                         | Jammu &Kashmir                             | 1333                                       |
| 22                                         | Himachal Pradesh                           | 1195                                       |
| 23                                         | Chandigarh                                 | 752                                        |
| 24                                         | Goa                                        | 366                                        |
| 25                                         | Tripura                                    | 288                                        |
| 26                                         | Meghalaya                                  | 100                                        |
| 27                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                          | 102                                        |
| 28                                         | Puducherry                                 | 94                                         |
| 29                                         | Sikkim                                     | 75                                         |
| 30                                         | Andaman Nicobar                            | 70                                         |
| 31                                         | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                        | 66                                         |
| 32                                         | Manipur                                    | 64                                         |
| 34                                         | Daman &Diu                                 | 40                                         |
| 33                                         | Nagaland                                   | 39                                         |
| 35                                         | Mizoram                                    | 14                                         |
| 36                                         | Lakshdweep                                 | 2                                          |
| 37                                         | Not Identified/ Abroad                     | 2                                          |
|                                            | Grand Total                                | 1,80,920                                   |