Consumer Court coming into operation on Mar. 15

KATHMANU, MARCH 11 : The Consumer Court will come into operation from March 15. Tabling the notice at today's House of Representatives (HoR) meeting, Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Ajaya Kumar Chaurasiya announced that the court has been established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS. It will have jurisdiction over consumer-related cases in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur districts.

Kathmandu District Court Judge Ram Prasad Sharma has been appointed as the chairperson of the Consumer Court. Gehendra Raj Regmi, a gazetted second-class officer from the Justice Group, and Ananda Raj Pokharel, a gazetted second-class officer from the General Administration Group, have been appointed as members.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung presented a proposal to send the Mass Communication Council Bill, 2081 BS—originated in the National Assembly—to the concerned committee for clause-wise discussion. The bill aims to regulate radio, television, online and digital media, printing presses, and other forms of communication.

"The Media Council will be established as an autonomous regulatory body to foster clean, dignified, and accountable journalism," the bill states. It will function as a self-governing institution with continuous succession.