RTI will strenthen consumer movement: Dikshit

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has called upon the people to be more vigilant on their democratic rights particularly in relation to the consumer rights.

Addressing the National Consumer Convention 2007 here today she said, " You have the great tool of RTI in your hand to safegaurd your interest".

She said Government had enacted the RTI act for the benefit of the consumers and also for bringing in more transparency in the entire system.

The CM said, ''In our system even the legislature (politicians) are accountable for their various ommissions and commissions and people has the power to vote them out if they are not satisfied.'' She said peole have to be continuously vigilant about democracy as it is the consumers biggest tool.

Participating in the convention G C Mathur, Convenor-Trustee Treasurer of one NGO Binty, said consumer justice is an important element of good democratic governance of a country, particularly where the variety of economic activities supposedly operate on the principles of free market economy, specially in the globalised market.

He said market is not free if it is guided by promoters of any form of unfair business practices, negligent handling of consumers, unduely high price mark- ups, cartelised supply or competition is mission, and all the environment for the movement of conusmers is not healthy.

Citing an example, Mr Mathur said the conusmer is facing injustice at almost every stage. He said while fixing Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes, as has been done in the case of medicines by NPPA, the consumer who pays the taxes through his nose has been denied the right to information under CPA as at what rate the taxes are being charged and at what prices keeping in mind the fact that consumer is not supposed to pay tax on the bargained sales price.

Speaking on the occasion Amrit Lal Saha, President, Consumers' Protection Association, Agartala, said law alone can not provide the necessary consumer protection it should be possible only when there is good governance.

Mr Saha said the CM assured the members that Government would ncrease its involvement towards acheiving the desired objective of providing consumer protection.

UNI