Singpho stresses on need for effective consumer protection

Itanagar, Feb 23 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh Legal Metrology and Consumer Affairs Minister C C Singpho has stressed on the need for effective implementation of consumer protection law through participation of the common people, students, women, NGOs and voluntary consumer organization.

Addressing the 17th meeting of Arunachal Pradesh State Consumer Protection Council (SCPC) at Udyog Bhavan here today. the minister advocated for taking up of computer networking project with technical assistance of National Informatics Centre to connect all the 16 districts and expressed hope that with the completion of the project, people in remote areas will be able to update their knowledge on consumer protection and redress their grievances.

Exhorting social activists to take up issues of consumerism, and to educate and imbibe the sense of the right of consumers among the rural masses, the minister said that the state was leading in the country in terms of disposal of consumer cases with about 86 per cent in District Forums. Moreover, 75 per cent of the complaints received by the State Commission have been disposed off.

The minister also informed about establishment of three more new District Forums in Kurung Kumey, Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts.

As many as 29 cases out of total 39 registered with the state commission and 238 cases out of 271 registered in the district forum were disposed off, he added.

Earlier, Secretary Legal Metrology and Consumer Affairs M Pertin said that publicity and propagation of consumer awareness could not be carried upto a desired target due to paucity of fund and manpower, and stressed on the need for allocation of separate fund under plan head.

The meeting also resolved to submit a proposal to the state government for the creation of separate department for consumer affairs with separate head and budget.

UNI