Awareness and Utilization of Grievance Redressal Mechanisms under Consumer Protection Act among Farmers in Haryana

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20483585

Pradeep Kumar and Subhash Chander (Department of Sociology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

The effectiveness of consumer protection laws depends just as much on consumers’ knowledge of and usage of grievance redressal procedures as on legislative actions. This study examines how farmers in Haryana understand and use the grievance redressal provisions of the Consumer Protection Act. In addition to assessing awareness of consumer forums and complaint procedures, it also assesses the correlation between awareness along with specific socioeconomic characteristics. The paper also identifies the primary barriers to contacting consumer forums and evaluates the extent to which farmers have employed grievance redressal techniques. The findings indicate that while some farmers are aware of the grievance redressal options, socioeconomic constraints, perceived delays, and a lack of procedural competence continue to limit their actual usage. Significant relationships between awareness levels and variables including income, education, and institutional exposure were discovered. The study highlights the need for targeted consumer education and institutional outreach to enhance grassroots access to legal remedies and increase consumer empowerment in rural areas.