After a seven-year fight, two Haryana farmers have been granted a compensation of almost ?5 lakh from cooperative giant Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), which sold them defective guar seeds that led to 70% crop failure.

Key Facts :

• National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has granted Haryana farmers compensation of ?5 lakh from Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).

• This compensation was granted after the IFFCO had sold to farmers defective guar seeds that led to 70% crop failure.

• The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), India is a quasi-judicial commission in India which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.

• Its head office is in New Delhi.The commission is headed by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.    

• Section 21 of Consumer Protection Act, 1986 says that the NCDRC shall have jurisdiction to entertain a complaint valued more than one crore and also have Appellate and Revisional jurisdiction from the orders of State Commissions or the District fora as the case may be.

• Further,Section 23 of Consumer Protection Act,1986, provides that any person aggrieved by an order of NCDRC may prefer an Appeal against such order to the Supreme Court of India within a period of 30 days.

• Guar, or cluster beans, is grown not just for the vegetable, but for its gum, which is one of India’s major agricultural exports to the United States. Haryana is the second largest producer in the country.