Complaints against e-commerce companies under PM Modi’s scanner

NEW DELHI: Concerned by the increasing number of complaints against

e-commerce businesses

like those engaged in booking of tickets and hotel reservations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the

consumer affairs ministry

to come out with a road map to deal with such grievances within 10 days.

Sources said the Prime Minister has asked the ministry to make a presentation before the Cabinet secretary and his office.

Officials said that during his interaction with secretaries and chief secretaries on Wednesday, Modi wanted the ministry to list the number of complaints against each company.

“He said that the ministry must address consumers’ complaints. While it has received about three lakh complaints, the PM was of the view that total number could be much more. He said many complaints may have been registered with different agencies and departments besides many complaints may have been negotiated with the companies,” said an official, who took part in the monthly interaction of PM with top officials through PRAGATI.

An official release said that the PM has called for increased efficiency, and more effective redressal of consumer grievances by carrying out a comprehensive review of the nature of issues, and work towards fixing responsibility and identifying solutions for them.

Since January, the PM has focused on taking up people’s grievances relating to one department as the top priority issue in this monthly interaction.

In the January meeting, he sent out a stern message to government officials refusing to mend their ways despite repeated complaints. Modi had even asked secretaries to carry out assessment of such employees and recommend action, including dismissal and slashing their pension.

The PM had also asked all central government departments, which have to extensively deal with the public, to set up a grievance-monitoring mechanism.