CCPA penalizes Amazon, Flipkart, JioMart for selling unregistered herbicide
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalties on three major e-commerce platforms for selling an unregistered agrochemical product. Amazon and Flipkart each face a penalty of Rs 10 lakh, while JioMart has been fined Rs 5 lakh for selling and advertising Cyclosinone Herbicide, a granular weed-control product marketed for use in lawns, gardens and agricultural fields.
The CCPA initiated proceedings after the department of agriculture and farmers' welfare forwarded a complaint from the Crop Care Federation of India regarding the sale and advertisement of the unregistered herbicide through e-commerce and digital media platforms. During investigation, the agriculture department informed the authority that import, manufacture, sale, transport, distribution and use of insecticides and pesticides are regulated under the Insecticides Act, 1968, and related rules to safeguard human beings and animals from potential risks. The department confirmed that no chemical named Cyclosinone is included in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, yet the product was being sold through online platforms without disclosing the chemical name of its active ingredient or composition.
In separate orders, the CCPA directed the e-commerce marketplaces to immediately discontinue false and misleading advertisements and conduct a self-audit of their platforms to identify and remove products that violate the law or pose a risk to consumers' life and safety.
