Call for awareness on consumer rights

Hyderabad, Dec 24 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission President, Justice D Appa Rao, today urged consumer voluntary organisations to educate the people to promote and protect the rights of the consumers under the Consumer Protection Act.

Addressing a gathering at the National Consumer Day celebrations organised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies in association with the District Consumer Information Centre here, he said people living in rural areas did not know about the rights provided in the Act.

District Information Centres should play a key role in promoting consumer rights, he said. Out of 1.66 lakh cases filed in various consumer courts, about 1.61 lakh had been cleared with the balance to be disposed off very soon.

Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies Department Director P Bhanu Murthy urged the consumers to demand the bill at the time of payment.

It was the responsibility of every consumer to take the bill, which would reduce black marketing and adulteration, he noted.

The Department of Consumer Affairs had established 29 district fora in the 23 districts to redress consumer disputes.

Mr Murthy said AP State Consumer Welfare Fund was established in the state for encouraging consumer voluntary organisations to take up various activities for the benefit of the consumers.

He appealed to consumer courts to reduce the period of clearance of cases from the present 90 days provided for in the the Act to 60 days for the benefit of the consumers.

HPCL Senior Regional Manager V R Saxena appealed the consumers to take necessary precautions while using cylinders to avoid accidents.

UNI