In Brief
The Supreme Court held that a construction worker registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 and a beneficiary of a statutory welfare scheme is a 'consumer' under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The Court rejected the Welfare Board's argument that meagre contributions disqualified workers from consumer status. It established that services need not be rendered free of charge to fall within consumer protection; rather, so long as any consideration exists, deficiencies are actionable. The decision emphasizes public accountability of statutory authorities performing non-sovereign welfare functions, particularly toward vulnerable unorganized sector workers. The appeal was dismissed, affirming the State Commission's award subject to interest rate modifications by the National Commission."
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