A proposal to start a state-level consumer protection forum has been submitted to the chief minister, food and civil supplies minister Shobha Karandlaje said on Saturday.
A proposal to start a state-level consumer protection forum has been submitted to the chief minister, food and civil supplies minister Shobha Karandlaje said on Saturday.
She was speaking after inaugurating the celebrations of Consumer Rights Day. She pointed out that currently, only a small fraction of complaints regarding violation of consumer rights are reported in the state.
She said many people must be facing the problems but only a few come forward and register a complaint. She said if the rate of reporting complaints is low in cities, it is even less in zillas.
Regarding grievance redressal, she said people can register their complaints via Internet too. Further, she said offices are being built in Tumkur and Dharwad to attend to such plaints, adding that more funds are required for the purpose.
Karandlaje said Stree Shakti Society, too, should be made aware about consumer rights because awareness is the first step to empowerment. She said a proposal needed to be made in this regard. She informed that awareness programmes had been held in about 150 schools so that schoolchidren gain knowledge about consumer rights and help pass on theinformation.
The minister said although we celebrate Consumer Rights Day every year, it will gain meaning only when citizens gain awareness about the issue.
‘Empower farmers’
On the occasion, Justice K Ramanna, chairman of Karnataka State Consumer Rights Forum, said the current number of consumer awareness clubs, 150, was too low. He asserted that farmers, in particular, need to be made aware about consumer rights. He said unsuspecting farmers often get cheated in the market. He added that the government must make electronic weighing machines mandatory so that farmers are not given a raw deal while selling their produce.
Further, Justice Ramanna highlighted that in 2009, 13 cases of consumer rights violation were reported in Chamarajanagar. Now, he said, the number has increased to 150. He noted that awareness is high in places like Haveri, Gadag and Shimoga. In contrast, hardly any complaints are registered in places like Chikkamagalur, Ramanagar and Yadgir.
The chairman of the consumer rights forum said they needed more support from the government to function well. He said the employees’ motivation is too low because of the meagre pay they get.
Ration cards
In the last three weeks, 11 lakh people have made use of Internet to apply for ration cards, said Karandlaje. She said it is a continuous process as new families are constantly being added. She added that the government was trying to finish the work as soon as possible.
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