Govt extends deadline for comments on draft e-commerce rules

New Delhi, July 5 The Centre has extended the deadline for submission of comments and suggestions on the draft e-commerce rules till July 21.

The Department of Consumer Affairs had, last month, released the proposed amendments to the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and sought comments and suggestions by Tuesday, July 6.

"It has now been decided to extend the timeline for receipt of comments/suggestions on the Draft E-Commerce Rules," said a notification by the department on Monday.

Among several stricter norms, the draft regulation proposes prohibiting flash sales.

Further, as per the new draft regulations, no e-commerce entity shall allow any display or promotion of misleading advertisements, whether in the course of business on its platform or otherwise.

Also, if the norms come into effect, every e-commerce shall establish an adequate grievance redressal mechanism having regard to the number of grievances ordinarily received by such entity from India.

Amazon and Flipkart, among others, will have to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, a Resident Grievance Officer and a nodal contact person in India.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which has been at the forefront of the fight for a "level playing field" for offline traders, had urged the government not to extend the deadline for the submission of comments, amid reports that demands were made from certain quarters to extend the deadline.