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(b) the District Forums could not have adjudicated upon the complaints filed by the respondents and awarded compensation to them without following the procedure prescribed under Section 13(1)(c) of the Consumer Act.
(c) the growers of seeds, who had entered into agreements with it, are not covered by the definition of `consumer' under Section 2(d) of the Consumer Act because they had purchased the seeds for commercial purpose.

23.It can thus be said that in the context of farmers/growers and other consumer of seeds, the Seeds Act is a special legislation insofar as the provisions contained therein ensure that those engaged in agriculture and horticulture get quality seeds and any person who violates the provisions of the Act and/or the Rules is brought before the law and punished. However, there is no provision in that Act and the Rules framed thereunder for compensating the farmers etc. who may suffer adversely due to loss of crop or deficient yield on account of defective seeds supplied by a person authorised to sell the seeds. That apart, there is nothing in the Seeds Act and the Rules which may give an indication that the provisions of the Consumer Act are not available to the farmers who are otherwise covered by the wide definition of `consumer' under Section 2(d) of the Consumer Act. As a matter of fact, any attempt to exclude the farmers from the ambit of the Consumer Act by implication will make that Act vulnerable to an attack of unconstitutionality on the ground of discrimination and there is no reason why the provisions of the Consumer Act should be so interpreted.

25.The definition of `consumer' contained in Section 2(d) of the Consumer Act is very wide. Sub-clause (i) of the definition takes within its fold any person who buys any goods for a consideration paid or promised or partly paid and partly promised, or under any system of deferred payment. It also includes any person who uses the goods though he may not be buyer thereof provided that such use is with the approval of the buyer. The last part of the definition contained in Section 2(d)(i) excludes a person who obtains the goods for resale or for any commercial purpose. By virtue of the explanation which was added w.e.f. 18.6.1993 by the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act 50 of 1993, it was clarified that the expression `commercial purpose' used in sub-clause (i) does not include use by a consumer of goods bought and used by him for the purpose of earning his livelihood by means of self-employment. The definition of `consumer' was interpreted in Lucknow Development Authority v. M.K. Gupta (supra). The Court referred to the dictionary meanings of the word `consumer', definition contained in Section 2(d) and proceeded to observe:

31. In Trans Mediterranean Airways v. Universal Exports (supra) it was observed:

"In our view, the protection provided under the CP Act to consumers is in addition to the remedies available under any other statute. It does not extinguish the remedies under another statute but provides an additional or alternative remedy."

32.The aforementioned judgments present a clear answer to the appellant's challenge to the impugned orders on the ground that the growers had not availed the remedy of arbitration. An ancillary point which may not detain us for long but needs consideration is whether a grower is excluded from the definition of `consumer' because the seeds produced by him are required to be supplied to the appellant. The argument of the learned counsel for the appellant is that the foundation seeds were supplied to the growers for commercial purpose and as such their cases would fall in the exclusion part of the definition of `consumer'. In the first blush, this argument appears attractive but on a deeper examination, we do not find any merit in it. The expression "any commercial purpose" was considered in Laxmi Engineering Works v. P.S.G. Industrial Institute (1995) 3 SCC 583. The two-Judge Bench referred to the amended definition of `consumer' contained in Section 2 (d) and observed: