Cases in consumer fora being monitored, 81 pc disposed off:Pawar

New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sharad Pawar today informed the Lok Sabha that the disposal of cases filed in the Consumer Fora is being monitored on a regular basis.

Replying to a question in the question hour, he said that till now, a total of 45,375 cases had been filed and a total of 36,928 cases disposed off, with 8,447 cases still pending. Over 81 per cent of the cases been disposed off, he added.

He said in order to facilitate the National Commission in speedy disposal of cases, the Government had taken up a project for computerisation and computer networking of the National Commission and other consumer fora. This would promote governance, transparency, efficiency and systematisation of the working of the Consumer Fora.

The number of posts of members in the National Commission has been increased from five to nine to facilitate constitution of more benches and the National Commission has been empowered to hold Circuit benches at eleven notified places outside Delhi, he added.

Responding to another question, Mr Pawar said agricultural production was generally affected by delayed monsoon/rainfall, floods and drought.

He said financial assistance was provided to States in the wake of natural calamities under the Calamity Relief fund (CRF) and National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF), based on the recommendations of the Finance Commission.

He said the farmers were also compensated for the loss in production through the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme.

The mid-term appraisal of the tenth five year plan, prepared by the Planning Commission, had suggested an increase in public investment in agriculture and irrigation to carry forward essential reforms to conserve water and soil, check degradation of natural resources and to rejuvenate support systems like extension and credit and the delivery systems of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and making agricultural research more responsive to the needs of the agriculture sector.

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