Consumer rights campaign launched in Assam's Dhubri; ABGP seeks law on ‘cost-based pricing’

The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) has launched a district-wide consumer rights campaign in Dhubri district demanding fresh legislation on “cost-based pricing” and stricter measures to curb alleged exploitation through inflated Maximum Retail Price (MRP) practices.

The campaign, launched by the Dhubri district unit of the organisation following a directive issued by its central office in New Delhi on May 18, seeks greater price transparency and enhanced consumer protection across sectors such as fuel, food, education, healthcare, agriculture and essential commodities.

The initiative is being led by Dhubri district unit president Binoy Bhattacharjee and is dedicated to the legacy of ABGP founder and veteran consumer rights activist Bindu Madhav Joshi, popularly known as Nana Joshi.

According to the organisation, the MRP system, originally intended to prevent overcharging during shortages, is allegedly being misused by manufacturers and corporations by printing prices significantly higher than actual production costs.

The ABGP claimed that such practices allow companies to advertise “deep discounts” while continuing to maintain inflated profit margins.

As part of its demands, the organisation has called for legislation mandating “cost-based pricing”, including compulsory disclosure of raw material, production and transportation costs on product labels.

The organisation has also demanded restoration of consumers’ right to negotiate prices, alleging that retailers increasingly treat the printed MRP as a fixed and non-negotiable rate.

The campaign highlighted several local concerns in Dhubri, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where limited retail competition and supply-chain challenges allegedly contribute to inflated prices.

The organisation alleged that middlemen and distributors often cite transportation costs to justify higher prices for pharmaceuticals, groceries, agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and seeds, domestic LPG cylinders, petrol, diesel and educational materials.

The ABGP has appealed to petrol pumps and retail outlets to allow consumers access to mandatory quality and quantity checks, including filter paper tests, hydrometer density tests and calibrated fuel measurement checks, as provided under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and the Legal Metrology Act.

The organisation also urged the district administration and the Legal Metrology Department to conduct surprise inspections and take action against businesses allegedly violating consumer protection norms.

Founded in Pune in 1974 by freedom fighter and consumer rights activist Nana Joshi, the ABGP has long campaigned on issues related to misleading advertisements, pricing transparency and consumer welfare.

The Dhubri district unit said it would organise awareness drives, public forums and joint market inspections in the coming days and urged consumers facing overcharging or unfair trade practices to seek assistance from the organisation.